Summertime
by RoseDemocracy05
Summary: From Deathly Hallows. In the lazy days of summer, friendship blooms and withers, and memories linger forever. A fic about the lives of Severus Snape and Lily Evans, particulary the many summers they spent together in Spinner's End.
1. Plans Come to Naught

Hey guys, in the wake of Deathly Hallows I am just floored by "The Prince's Tale." So, I thought I would write a fic further exploring Snape's life and his relationship with Lily. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Pff, you think I own this cool stuff?

**Summertime**

**Chapter One**

**Plans Come to Naught**

Severus Snape stood alone by the swings of the old playground. He was looking down, hiding his angry tears under a curtain of filthy hair though no one was around to see him cry. Once again he had messed everything up. He scared her away. Severus had planned for days to reveal to the girl she was a witch and he was a wizard. He had worn his cleanest shirt and smoothed his greasy hair down as best as he could, but still, he dashed his hopes and still came across as the creepy, dirty little boy he was. It was all her stupid Muggle sister's--"Tuney's"--fault. She was the one who got Lily scared, who told her he was lying. Severus kicked the playground sand angrily.

He trudged toward the dilapidated house on the outskirts of Spinner's End. He was supposed to have been home an hour ago, but he had been too consumed with plucking up the courage to emerge from his hiding place in the bushes and speak to Lily. Severus climbed the rotting steps to his house and opened the squeaky screen door. He crept into the den, careful not to make too much noise. He noticed his mother sprawled on the torn, mildewy sofa, no doubt exhausted from another violent argument.

Mrs. Snape looked at her son rather blearily and said, "You've missed dinner."

Severus nodded but his stomach grumbled in protest. He climbed the stairs to his room, pausing only to glance into the cracked door of his parents' room. His father had passed out on the bed, a bare foot dangled off the side. Severus sighed with relief.

He went into the bathroom and turned the tap—nothing came out. He frowned, the water still had not been turned back on. There was always the option of washing in the stream, but the Winchells, who owned the property on which the stream flowed, had already caught him once. If they caught him again they would surely complain to his parents and he would have to face the painful consequences. He went back into the hallway, pulled the string that let down the stairs of the attic and climbed up to his room.

The attic was filled with boxes of old clothes and strange artifacts—treasures for a child, absolute necessities for a lonely child. Indeed, Severus had taken full advantage of the attic's garbage. The ridiculous flowered and floppy hats and oversized clothes offered ample opportunity to play dress up. A cane or a faded umbrella was the ideal sword to face an imaginary monster. His most treasured possessions were a stack of ratty looking books—his mother's old schoolbooks.

Severus soaked up everything from these books. He had never been to Diagon Alley, but could tell anyone anything they wanted to know about Ollivander's. He had never seen a Quidditch match, but could recite all the rules and regulations perfectly. There was very little magic in Severus Snape's life. What little he saw was done occasionally by his mother, and his own accidental bursts of power. He dreamed of Hogwarts, going to Hogwarts with the Evans girl. Those were his best dreams.

Tonight, he bypassed the playthings and the books. He flung off his giant, tan trenchcoat, which had become unbearable in the muggy attic. Without his coat it was revealed that he was wearing a stained, ridiculously frilly women's blouse and he looked more like he had fell into a secondhand clothing bin than ever.

He flopped on his grimy mattress, hardly noticing when one of the springs dug into his spine. Lily Evans surely hated him. He had watched her and planned forever to be her friend but it was no use. At least he could still go to Hogwarts, even without the beautiful red-haired girl by his side.

What do you guys think? Shall I continue? Reviews make me happy inside : )


	2. Mud and Flowers

0.o You people like my story? I had to write like six chapters of my first fic to get anywhere near this kind of response. Maybe I suddenly acquired mad fanfic skills, or maybe everyone is just in Snape-grief mode, hehehe. Thanks so much to all the reviewers! Knowing that people are reading helps me write : )

Disclaimer: Not mine.

**Chapter 2**

**Mud and Flowers**

_Plunk._

_Splash._

_Slick._

_Plunk._

_Splash._

Severus picked up another pebble from the wet, murky ground and threw it into the stream—if it was fit to be called that. By the time the pristine crystal stream of the Winchells wound its way to the Snape plot, it had widened and diluted into lazily flowing marshlands. When croaking toads were not drowning out the other noises of the swamp, chirping crickets and buzzing mosquitoes took up the task. The millions of tiny gnats were another matter all together.

Severus wiped his brow of sweat and swatted at the gnats—sentient specks of dirt. He hurled another stone and listened to the satisfying plunk and splash sound it made as it hit the water. A couple of cattails brush his cheek. He uprooted the plants and tore them in two before casting them on the ground. He lifted a particularly large stone from the muck, it was so heavy he needed two hands to carry it. He hurled it from between his legs like a Muggle child on his first trip bowling.

The stone tumbled a pathetic distance, it rolled into the thickly silted marsh bottom. Severus's cheek throbbed, it was a revolting shade of black and purple. It was swollen and knotted making his sallow face look all the more distorted.

Three more years! Three more long years until he could go to Hogwarts. Then he would not have to throw stones when he was angry, he could levitate them into the marsh. Severus bared his teeth and threw another rock. He could send his stones anywhere with a flick of his wand—at the water, at houses, at people.

"Hey, what are you doing?" called a musical voice, not accusatory, merely curious.

Severus whirled around to see Lily Evans picking her way toward him. Her pastel colored clothes seemed to deflect the surrounding grayness. In one hand she held her sandals so they would not get sucked and soiled by the mud. In her other hand she clutched a brilliant bouquet of freshly picked flowers from who knew where—heaven probably.

When she stood by his side he cast his stringy black hair around his face so she would not see his blush or his delight in seeing her.

"I'm throwing rocks," he said gruffly, picking up another rock and demonstrating.

Lily set her sandals down and copied him.

"What happened to your face?" she asked, pausing after stooping for her second rock.

"Got hit by the door," Severus mumbled.

"You got hit by the door? That seems like a pretty silly thing to do," said Lily.

Severus scowled and looked away from her. He was now determined to ignore her, stupid girl and all her stupid questions…

"Um, well," Lily hesitated, "If you were a wizard, wouldn't you be able to I dunno, stop the door or something? Turn it into a rabbit?"

Severus snorted, breaking his resolve to not talk to her as soon as he had made it, "_Real_ magic doesn't have stupid rabbits. Besides I'm not trained yet, it's pretty much impossible for me to use magic right when I want to."

"How do you get trained?" asked Lily, eyes wide.

He was taken aback by the look of excitement on her face, "I-I thought you didn't believe me."

"Oh, I did! I knew you were telling the truth! Tuney said you were lying, but I believed you! The other day…I was just going along with what she said!" Lily said hastily, blushing in a way that was supposed to make her look shameful, but to Severus simply made her look prettier than before.

"Yeah well she's just a Muggle. So of course she doesn't know what she's talking about," said Severus matter-of-factly.

"A Muggle?"

"A person who doesn't have any magical abilities," Severus explained as the pair started to walke along the shore and up a steep, grassy hill, "Your whole family are Muggles, except you."

Lily frowned, "My parents don't know what to think about it. They had a psychiatrist and some other doctor come over, but they didn't find anything."

"Muggles are a bit stupid," said Snape, "So it's no surprise they would misunderstand everything."

"Hey! That's my parents you're talking about!" said Lily indignantly.

"I—well, I didn't mean…" Severus rambled on until he noticed Lily did not seem to hear him. She was lost in her thoughts, mulling over everything she had been told. He decided to be silent until she was ready to speak.

They had reached the edge of the woods when Lily finally said, "Hey, you want to see something?"

Severus, who had been anticipating another question about the wizarding world gave a rather unintelligent, "Huh?"

"It's a surprise, c'mon!" Lily grabbed his hand and led him into the forest.

It was in Severus's nature to feel suspicious. Things deemed surprises never seemed to end well for him. However, Lily's white hand was holding his soiled brown one, so he probably would have followed her off a cliff. It was part of what he dreamed of after all, Severus and Lily, hand in hand, off to the great castle in the north. He stared at their cupped hands hungrily as she pulled him along, oblivious.

"Here it is," Lily said, pushing through the underbrush, "My hideout! I've never shown anybody this before."

Severus stepped into a cool, green-hued glen. There was a pile of wild flowers resting on the sweet smelling earth. A few dolls and books were scattered about, accentuated by the flickers of bright light flitting through the tree tops. It was wonderful.

Lily plopped in front of the pile of flowers and patted the ground beside her to indicate that Severus should do the same. She scattered the flowers about her, "Watch this."

She crunched her nose in concentration. Severus gasped as the flowers began to change their colors. Pinks to blues to greens to back to pink again. They changed so quickly and so brightly it looked as though they were pulsating with life.

"You're really talented, Lily," he said, still mesmerized by the flowers.

Lily smiled, "Thanks, Sev."

Severus's heart skipped a beat when she said his name. No one had _ever _called him by his name. It was always _boy_ or _that young __Snape_ or simply _kid_. Never Severus, and to shorten it to be more affectionate, well at least he thought that that is what it was supposed to mean….

Lily took a sprig of lilac and tucked it behind his grimy ear. She observed him and sagely nodded her approval, "Lavender is definitely a good color for you."

Severus gaped for a moment, stuttered something incomprehensible and was silent. Lily laughed and changed the subject back to magic. They talked until the white light of the sun became orange and then red.

"I saw you sometimes at school last year," said Lily.

"Stupid Muggle school…" Severus grumbled.

"Some of the kids were always being mean to you. Even though I didn't know you, I told on them for you," said Lily.

"Thanks…" said Severus, not wishing to tell her that the bullies came down on him harder because they thought _he_ was the one tattling.

"And now that I know you, it makes it seem even worse," Lilly picked at the soft grass absentmindedly, "It's not like you were a jerk or anything, you're really sweet."

Sweet?

The two sat in silence until it was broken when Lily's stomach growled. She sighed, "I better get home for dinner."

"Yeah…me too."

The two walked together until they reached the Evans's well-manicured back lawn, where they parted ways.

"C'ya tomorrow, Sev!" Lily called.

"C'ya," Severus said quietly. He walked home in a daze, a feeling was tickling his chest. It made him want to hop around and smile. He often imagined having the feeling, but this time it was real.

Severus walked up the steps to the Snape household, feeling warm and contemplating his new love for the softer shades of purple.

So, thoughts anybody? Reviews are always welcome, whether they criticize or praise.


	3. When Life Hands You Lemons,Make Lemonade

Thanks to the reviewers! You guys rock. I'm not very confident about this chapter but I hope you all like it.

Disclaimer: Characters and stuff belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter 3**

**When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade**

Severus and Lily rocked back and forth on a swinging chair, placed in the cool shade of Lilly's back porch. Severus had a large, moldy book open in his lap, enthusiastically explaining some of the pictures to Lily with a gleam in his eye.

"And these are the dementors you always ask about. They can make people, even really happy people, feel despair. They just suck the happiness right out of the air you breathe. The worst thing is when they kiss you."

"Ack! I can see why," Lily grimaced as she looked at the floating, scaly-handed monsters.

Summer, for all its lazy meandering, was finally coming to a close. The first day of primary school was fast approaching, but it did not bother Severus so much as it usually did. He and Lily had been joined at the hip for the better part of the summer. That stupid Muggle school was now a distant worry. His darker thoughts told him she was his friend merely out of necessity, once she knew enough about the wizarding world, she would detach herself from him. But a kind world from her lips and a smile assuaged his worst fears.

"They just call it that," Severus explained, "When a dementor kisses you, it is actually sucking out your soul. Then you're just a body. You're alive, but…"

Lily shuddered, "But isn't there any way to, you know, get away or to stop them?"

"There is. You just have to think of the happiest thing that has ever happened to you, then your wand makes a patronus—it's sort of like your happiest memory comes out of your wand to protect you," Severus watched as Lily closed her eyes and smiled. No doubt she was thinking of her happiest memory. He wondered what it was. Watching her rosy cheeks and perfect smile, he had no uncertainty of his.

"Lemonade, kids?"

Severus quickly shut the book and looked up at Mrs. Evans. She was a blonde, prim woman who looked as though she had never heard the words "women's liberation." She was carrying two tall glasses of lemonade, which were perspiring water in the summer heat. The lemon wedges were still on the glasses and both had the most precious little pink umbrellas resting against the side.

"Thanks, Mom!" said Lily, accepting her glass. Severus merely snatched his and began gulping it like a man who had been lost in the desert.

Mrs. Evans frowned. The boy seriously lacked any sort of manners, though that was not surprising given the nasty rumors whispered about the Snapes. But Mrs. Evans was a good-natured woman and the boy did not seem so bad—besides her Lily just seemed to adore him. Whatever her little Petunia said, the greatest threat this boy posed was dirtying the floral patterned cloth she had on the swinging chair.

When Mrs. Evans went back inside, Lily stopped sipping her lemonade and instead decided to contemplate it.

"I was thinking, Sev," she said after a moment, "Fighting dementors is sort of like making lemons into lemonade. Y'know, 'when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.'"

Severus scowled, "That doesn't even make sense."

"Yes it does! The dementors are the lemons, they make you think about the bad stuff that has happened to you and make you bitter. And the patronus is the…wait," Lily's brow furrowed in concentration, "Okay, you have bad memories, but you make things better by adding good ones to them…" Lily sighed in frustration, "Agh, I dunno, you're right. It doesn't make any sense."

A pit grew in Severus's chest at the look of Lily's disappointment, "Well maybe, when bad things happen to us, we can use them to make good things. Like when…" he was trying to salvage Lily's idea but no words would come.

"Like when people are cruel to you, but then you are able to treat people better because you know what it's like when people treat you badly!" Lily piped.

Severus inwardly scoffed at her sentiment, but spared her his cynicism and offered, "_Or_ when dementors make you despair, but are also defeated when you make something beautiful like the patronus."

Lily beamed, "See? It makes sense after all."

She set her empty glass on the floor and stretched before she slouched back in the slowly rocking chair. She laid her head on Severus's shoulder and yawned loudly.

Severus stopped breathing for a moment. So close, someone was close to him. _Lily_ was close to him.

"What are you two _weirdos_doing?" huffed a bossy voice. Lily's sister, Petunia had just climbed up the porch steps and was standing in front of the two friends with her hands haughtily placed on her hips.

"Nothing, what are you doing?" Lily countered mildly.

"_I _was just over playing with Alice Winchell. She just got a brand new authentic Victorian style dollhouse and we spent the whole afternoon playing with it," Petunia said snootily.

"Yeah well it was just a Muggle dollhouse," said Severus, "_Our _dollhouses have moving dolls and the rooms rearrange themselves," he finished smugly, satisfied with the look of inferiority on her face.

Petunia quickly recovered, "Of course you would know. I bet you like to play with dolls all the time, just like you like to wear your mom's clothes."

Severus glared at her so violently, she squeaked in fright and ran down the steps.

"Stop it both of you!" Lily cried, her head leaving Severus's shoulder as she leapt up to glare at the both of them.

For one mad instant, Severus wanted to grab her and pull her back down. He wanted to force her head back to rest on his shoulder. The thought was immediately forgotten in the wake of her anger.

"It's not my fault you hang around with that creepy freak all the time! You're going to end up just like him!" Petunia snapped before turning and running down the road.

Lily let out a small sob before rushing into the house, the screen door clanging shut behind her. Severus was alone. He slid off the chair and heavily went down the porch steps. His guilt and fear turned his insides to lead. He had not felt this horrible since he and Lily had their first fight. Petunia was involved in that skirmish as well.

She had followed the two into Lily's hideout in the forest and hid behind a tree. When she made herself known, she and Severus got into a petty shouting match, which resulted in Severus willing the tree branch above her to break. Petunia disappeared into the brush, sobbing.

"Tuney!" Lily cried.

Severus could not help smirking until he felt a shove from behind. He stumbled a few paces and whirled around. He had never seen Lily so angry—he had never even seen her upset before. Her anger terrified him more than any other, especially when it was directed at him.

"Did you do that?" her green eyes had a spark of fire in them.

He lied, and she knew it.

She had stomped away and left him alone.

She did not speak to him for a whole week and even when they reconciled she treated him rather coldly for some time. It was torture for the boy who had temporarily forgotten how to be lonely.

Would she forgive him again? Though he did not hurt Petunia this time, he had still made Lily very upset. She might think it best never to see him again. Severus shuddered. He could not lose her. He ran the rest of the way to his house.

Mrs. Snape scowled at her son as though he were some foul-smelling thing the dog brought in. Severus could tell she was a sour mood by the way she was cleaning the kitchen. Several plates were already broken by her violently cast cleaning spells.

"What do you want?" she said as if he was the one who caused her to be so weary and drawn.

"Is dad here?"

Another dish shattered, "Gone again. Been gone since last night. Good for nothing pig."

Severus was silent. He left his mother and went to the den, which was populated by a ratty couch, a rickety stool, a television, a radio and an ancient, wall piano. Severus sat in front of the piano. He attempted to tune it, a futile habit as the instrument would forever be out of tune. He shuffled some of his music sheets and picked one—an old Ray Charles creation.

He plunked the weary keys rather gracefully for a boy his age until he was sufficiently warmed up and started with a tune of his own. After a few simple chords he started humming the words—he dared not sing—there was something about the Snape household that discouraged song.

Severus frowned when he hit a sour note. He turned the Charles sheet around and scribbled notes on it. The song would be called 'Lily'. He worked on it until the sun fell, until the moon rose. Scratching out, adding, crumpling, rewriting.

It was finished.

Severus stuffed the sheets into his overcoat, close to his heart. He stood up, his legs hurt from sitting so long. He grinned, Lily would be sure to forgive with this present.

"Boy?"

Severus jumped. His father was standing unsteadily in the den. In his fervor, Severus had not heard him come in. He backed into a corner as his father advanced.

"Goddam…boy," he slurred.

Severus received what was by previous experiences, a minor thrashing by the time he managed to escape to his attic. His ribs ached and there was a sharp pain in his arm, but he would sleep it off. He was going to see Lily tomorrow.

The sky was pink and misty and the road of Spinner's End was deserted except for an incredibly disheveled boy who was running down the middle of the street, a wad of papers clutched in his hand. Severus ran up the steps of number 7 and rang the doorbell. He bounced on his toes impatiently.

A man in plaid pants and a matching bathrobe answered the door. He looked down at the shabby looking boy in bemusement.

"Is Lily here?" Severus asked.

"Ah—well, she's eating breakfast right now…but I'll get her," Mr. Evans disappeared into the house, "Lily, that young Snape boy is here to see you," he called.

Lily walked sleepily to the front door, rubbing her eyes. She was wearing a candy floss colored nightgown and her dark red hair was perfectly tousled, whereas Severus was wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday and his hair was unspeakably tangled.

When she saw him she folded her arms, "What do you want?" she said sharply.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"No!" called Petunia from the hallway.

"Why?" Lily asked, keeping her frigid tone.

"I-I have something for you," he said, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes. He did not see her eyes soften.

"Okay."

Severus walked nervously into the usually welcoming foyer. His doubts had finally caught up with him. Why on earth had he come here? Why on earth had he written the stupid song? Like that was going to make things better. He could not even sing. It didn't make sense. Stupid.

He walked over to the foyer's beautifully carved piano and sat in front of it like he always longed to do when he was invited into the Evans' household. He took the rumpled sheets from his jacket and set them up while Lily watched quizzically.

"I-um, wrote this," he said.

The opening notes resonated wonderfully on the superior piano. Simple and sweet, like his voice. The words were sung quietly at first, but grew confidently louder as the song went on. His voice was hoarse and light. He sang:

_"Sweeter than honey, lighter than air,_

_No sun brighter, no moon fair-__er_

_Loving, living, soulful, spring_

_Of water comes her laughing-ring_

_Green-eyed girl_

_By my side_

_Green-eyed girl_

_In my mind_

_Green-eyed girl_

_In my heart._

_Like a drink in the desert,_

_Like a home in the rain,_

_What if I never, see her again?_

_Green-eyed girl…"_

As the final notes rang he turned to Lily, who, unbeknownst to him, had kept her eyes on him for the entirety of the song. From the somber look she gave him, he thought she was still mad at him and his heart sank.

He made a last desperate attempt, "I-I'm sorry…I've been…I just want to…"

Lily leapt on the seat and threw her arms around him, "Sev! That was so—so wonderful!"

And for a moment, nothing else existed. Not the puzzled parents in the doorway, not Petunia scowling through the bars of the stairs, not the persisting pain in his shoulder.

And for a moment, Severus felt as if he had made something truly right.

Phew, long chapter. Thoughts?


	4. Two Ants, Part I

Thanks once again for all the great reviews guys. They really help a lot. I'm glad most of you liked or at least were amused by Sev's song : ), it was pretty tricky for me to write. I wish I could respond to all the reviews, but I always get confused as to whether I replied to someone or not 0.o. Anyway, just know that your comments and critiques are of great value to me : ) This next chap is sort of a two-parter, this is the first part obviously. It will seem a bit familiar to you…

Disclaimer: Characters and all that are J.K. Rowling's.

**Chapter 4**** Part I**

**Two Ants**

_Two ants under_

_The magnifying glass_

_One fled left, the other fled right_

_To escape the eye so burning bright_

"Get him!"

"Ow!"

"Greasy little bastard!"

Severus clawed and swung at the circle of jeering boys who had surrounded him. He could fight viciously, like a cornered alley cat, but many of the boys were older and much bigger than him. One of the boys grabbed his long and threw him on the blacktop, where he skinned his knees badly.

A crowd began to gather, one that was far from friendly. More people meant more pointing, more laughter. Severus became tangled in his coat as he tried to scramble up. A thickly set fifth grader placed his foot on Severus's behind and gave a great shove. Severus collapsed face first into the dirt. It found its way into his eyes, nose, mouth and ears. He gagged and sputtered while the other children roared in excitement.

"Hey!" Lily stormed pink-faced through the crowd, which even as it parted for her, let out a loud, taunting, "Ooohhhhh!"

She went up to his biggest bully and jabbed her finger at his broad chest, "Winchell! I told you to leave him alone! How many times do I have to tell Ms. McCormick on you before you get it through your thick head?"

While the bully's twisted code of honor did not permit the hitting of girls, it said nothing about being incredibly nasty to them.

"If you need some time to _snog_your _boyfriend _alone, you could just say so," sneered Winchell egged on by the mob's cheers.

Lily flushed scarlett, but recovered enough to say, "Stupid! You know full well that if Ms. McCormick tells your _mummy_ you've been behaving like a PRAT one more time," she crossed her arms and smirked, "She's going to beat your _arse_ until it's so red and sore, you won't be able to sit down for a whole week!"

Despites the crowd's allegiance, there were several hoots of laughter.

Severus glowered at Winchell with a pure hatred rarely found in a boy his age. His face was beet red, and his black eyes watered a bit from the sand and a bit (though he would never admit it) from humiliation and pain.

"Evans looovvves Snape!"

"How do you like having a girl stand up for you Snapey?"

And to make matters more terrible—in his mind—Lily was always there to witness, and to save him. This was the third time this week she had confronted his bullies in the schoolyard.

With a feral growl, Severus lunged at Winchell, attempting to tackle him. It had much of the effect of ramming a motorcycle into a brick wall. He flew backward as Winchell gave him a simple shove. The children roared with laughter.

"Sev!" Lily rushed to help him, but he yanked his arm from her grasp and stumbled up on his own.

"I don't need your help!" he shouted at her.

She looked shocked, but she approached him again and said quietly, "C'mon Sev, let's get out of here. Let's--"

"No!" Severus snapped, "I don't want anything to do with you…you…you _bitch!"_

The jeering playground quieted. Some of the more skittish children ran away. A rush of whispers burst forth from those remaining, but neither Lily nor Severus seemed to notice them.

Severus wanted to say something as he saw her lip quiver, but his throat was too tight. And what could he say really? Lily turned ran and away from the playground and Severus chased after her. He gained on her as they dashed through the open field by the schoolhouse. She was fast, her dark red hair flew out behind her.

"Lily, wait!" Severus called and put on a burst of speed until he was able to grab her arm.

Lily whirled around and snarled at him, "Get away from me!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry?!" Lily shrieked, "All my old school friends have stopped talking to me, people laugh at me, and I'm treated like—like some kind of freak! All because--" her eyes narrowed, "All because I'm friends with you! And now this! You made everyone who talked bad about you right…I never really believed them…until now."

Severus felt as though she had ripped through his chest and pulled out his heart. She held it still beating in her hand. If only she would not smash it. If only he could find the right words. The foul word had slipped out, he had been angry, humiliated. He would throw himself back on the dirt if only she would forgive him. He would be better, he would not drag her down into isolation with him. He stepped closer to her.

She squeezed shut his heart in her fist, "Severus, I _never_ want to see you again."

Lily turned and ran once more, and this time Severus did not follow.

Eep, tension! Thoughts and opinions are very much appreciated.


	5. Two Ants, Part II

**Chapter 4 Part II**

**Two Ants**

_Time passed by _

_And the clouds grew dark_

_And it started pouring rain,_

_Washing the two ants together again._

The school days blurred together as they tend to do, and Lily and Severus did indeed see very little of each other. Lily was in all of the most advanced classes, while Severus was in the classes for the "slower" children, his boredom and contempt mistaken for stupidity.

He tried to at least stay close to Lily in the hallways, though he could not speak to her, but he stopped even this after he heard the exchange in the hallway before school one day.

"Is that Snape boy following us?" the brunette girl walking with Lily asked loudly.

"Yeah, I think he's stalking me," Lily raised her voice, "I used to feel sorry for him, y'know? But he is just _too_ creepy."

The two girls laughed uproariously and quickened their pace.

After the incident in the hallway, the only times he ever saw her was when he was taking his routine beatings on the playground. She would come watch with the other children. She did not jeer, but watched coldly—it was in some ways worse than if she had been enjoying herself.

Severus had forgotten how horrible it was to get up on his own after the bullies had their fun with them. He had forgotten how horrible it was to have no one to ask how he was feeling. He had forgotten how horrible it was not to be cared about by a soul in the world. He had gotten a taste of what might have been love and the withdrawals were worse than having never been cared for at all. Now what could he think about when his father hit him? When his mother snapped at him? When everyone laughed him? The old shelters of revenge and hatred were no longer satisfying, but his love was gone too.

"So Brody is like so cute," said Michelle, playing with her blond hair, "Do you think I should tell him I like him? I mean _like_ him like him?"

"Mmm," said Lily, picking at her cafeteria processed spaghetti.

"Lily! Are you listening?" Michelle asked haughtily, "This is serious!"

"Wha? I mean yeah, sure, tell him," said Lily.

"Really? Do you really think I should? I mean, I don't want rumors spread about me," Michelle continued.

Lily got up, "I'm going to get some more milk."

What happened to Michelle? She did not used to be so inane. School, for the first time was dull to her. Her friends, who she had been looking forward to seeing again, were not as she remembered them. Not as funny, or smart, or interesting. They did not seem to understand her. All they talked about were boys and how dumb their teachers were. It was springtime now, raining endlessly, and she just wanted the school year to be over.

She had not really laughed since summertime. She missed the tall glasses of lemonade, lazy days, secrets, running free, reading books in her hideout, picking flowers with Sev…

Lily shook her head and counted the change she needed for her milk.

On the first day of summer, Lily sat inside. It was raining, but not terribly. She had begged Petunia to go out and play with her, but the older girl had received a makeup kit for her birthday and could not be bothered. After a while of reading her summer homework book she decided to put on her raincoat and enjoy her first day of freedom.

"Don't play too hard," her mother called, "Wouldn't want to get mud on that adorable yellow raincoat."

"I won't, Mum," said Lily as she made her way down the porch steps.

She wandered aimlessly, trying to balance with her bulky boot on the curbs. She watched the little rivulets of water flow down the street. When she looked up she saw a figure in the misty rain. It was moving rather spastically and strangely. She approached it slowly until she could see it clearly.

It was Severus, he was dancing, alone, looking for all the world like a giant, water logged bat. His flip flops were flapping ridiculously and his arms were swinging like great windmill. Lily burst with laughter at the sight she could not control herself.

Severus jumped. His eyes widened when he saw her. He stopped dancing, his sopping hair fell like a curtain in front of his face.

"I- I'm sorry," Lily said between gasps for air, "It's just…"

Lily collapsed in another fit of giggles. When she recovered, she began hopping around, making an incredibly silly whooping sound. She grabbed Severus's arm and did the can-can, before releasing him and spinning haphazardly in circles. Severus hesitated at first, but joined her, and the two flapped and danced about to the rhythm of the summer rain.

Phew, sorry it's a bit short. My internet is shut off as of today as I am moving to New York. I won't have any updates for about a week, maybe more. So add this to your story alerts if you want to read more. I want to see loads of reviews when I get back on, and you guys have been awesome so far, so I know there will be : ) Thanks again. Next chap will explore the relationship between sev and his parents more deeply. Also, a lily and sev bonding moment : ) It will be a nice, long chapter.


	6. Gimme Shelter

I've finished moving and unpacking and stressful crap. Yay me! Thanks guys for all the wonderful reviews, I appreciate it.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Also I stole the title name from an incredibly awesome Rolling Stones song. Check it out sometime.

**Chapter 5**

**Gimme**** Shelter**

_"Get Out!" _

Mrs. Snape hurled a curse in Mr. Snape's direction. It missed wildly and shattered some old china, one of the few nice things left in the Snape household.

"You run out for two full days, only to come back and tell me you've lost your job?!" Mrs. Snape aimed her next curse more carefully, but before she could fire, her husband lunged at her. He grabbed the wrist of her wand hand, wrenched away her wand and swung her violently into the ancient piano. The keys shrieked painfully and Mrs. Snape snarled.

"Maybe if you would get off your godam lazy ass and get a lowly_Muggle_job you would have more right to complain. Conceited bitch!" Mr. Snape snapped and put both hands on his wife's wand, "I should have done this a _long_ time ago," he strained and snapped the wand in two before tossing it aside. Mrs. Snape howled.

"Filth! You're all filth! How was I ever fooled by scum like you!" she spat, but there was fear in her eyes, the fight was entirely one-sided now.

Severus gripped the bars on the stairway's railing even tighter, until his knuckles grew white. What would mum do? He did not want to see her hurt again. Last time, he did not know if she would ever wake up.

Severus's father picked his mother up from the smashed piano by her neck and threw her against the stairwell wall. There was a sickening crack. Severus could hear his mother sliding down the wall. She gave a feeble moan. He shut his eyes tight.

He just wished they would stop. Stop yelling. Stop hitting. Stop it. Stop. _Stop. Stop! STOP!_

The piano shot across the floor, rammed into his father and smashed him against the wall. Mrs. Snape looked up and noticed her son for one of the first times in the nine years since she gave birth to him. Severus raced down to her, he was trying to move her, he was trying to make her get up—but his weak tugs on her arm stopped quite suddenly. He had frozen, his father had recovered from the blow of the bewitched piano and was glowering at him with the look of a wild animal.

With a strength and speed she did not know she had, Mrs. Snape scooped up her son and tore out the door. She raced down the rocky driveway, Severus clinging desperately to her. She looked back toward the house, no one was following yet. Would the Knight Bus sense her distress without her wand? She held out her hand and tried to summon the bus before setting Severus down.

Maybe she could go to her Aunt Villiencia's house. She would take her in surely—if she was still alive. She had not spoken to her family in years, they did not know about Severus or even that she was no longer a Prince. They would surely shun her if they knew of either. Mrs. Snape looked down at her son, he looked ragged and he smelled of the swamp and stale things. She felt a pang in her heart. When had she ever been a mother to him? The only times she ever acknowledged him was to use him to reminisce about her Hogwarts and Quidditch days or to rant about Muggles and Mudbloods. And now, she would have to leave him—it was to make an escape for both of them eventually—but she would have to leave him in this place.

She kneeled so she would be eyelevel with her son, "Severus, I will have to leave. It won't be long, but you can't come with me."

An incredible sadness overcame the boy's face that struck her chilly heart—but it lasted only for a moment, for his face hardened into unmistakable hatred, "Why not?" he asked quietly.

"Because…" she struggled with her words—empathy and reassuring sentiments were not the traits of a Prince, "Because your presence would complicate things."

Severus looked away, "Fine, I don't care if you ever come back."

Mrs. Snape sighed in exasperation and grabbed his arm, "Boy…I will come ba--"

Severus tore his arm away and bared his teeth, "No!"

Mrs. Snapes eyebrows knitted together, "N-no?"

"I hate you!" Severus snarled, "I hate you as much as I hate him!"

"Severus, wait!" she reached out to grab him again, but he dashed away and disappeared into the inky darkness of the night.

For a moment she made to chase him, but halted when she heard a hiss. Mrs. Snape turned and saw a great purple bus stopped behind her. A squat, old man lumbered out.

"Call the Knight Bus madam?" he asked.

She hesitated before nodding weakly.

&$ -- &$ --

Lily huffed in the sweltering summer heat. She would have wiped the sweat from her brow if both her arms had not been supporting a rickety, paint-stained ladder.

"Sev," she panted, "Why do we have to use a ladder to get into your house again?"

"Because," he grunted as he set up his end of the ladder against the side o f the house.

"Because what? I already told you I didn't care if your house was messy or poor like Tuney keeps going on about. So why?" asked Lily.

"Because…look, you're the one who wanted to see my room so bad, so why do you keep complaining?" Severus sputtered.

"I'm not complaining!" Lily protested, "It's just that you come to my house and my room all the time and I never get to go to yours, and," she added sheepishly, "I've never seen a boy's room before. Tuney said they're full of snakes and spiders and all kinds of awful stuff—which I think is pretty cool," she grinned.

Severus wanted to take a shot a Petunia, but kept his mouth shut when he realized that he did indeed keep a small garden snake as a pet and his attic had a large infestation of spiders. He looked at his feet in embarrassment.

"Let's just go up," he mumbled, "You go first, so I can catch you if you fall."

Lily did not hear him, she had already raced to the top of the ladder and was preparing to climb into the attic window.

"Hey, wait!" Severus called as he climbed after her.

He clumsily slid through the attic window and plopped in a heap on the floor. He hopped up quickly and dusted himself up, hoping Lily had not seen him.

She had not. She had her back turned to him and was walking slowly across the attic, dust motes floating around her like brilliant specks of light.

"_This _is your room?" she asked.

Severus could not see her expression. He imagined her nose crinkled, a grimace on her face. But when she turned around, it was not so. Her face was fixed with a brilliant smile, "It's great!"

He could not determine whether the wonderful smile was fake or not. Whether it was meant to spare his feelings. It was Lily's smile. He followed her nervously as she walked around the attic. He had tried to tidy it up for her, but the holey mattress still had moldy sheets and the mouse droppings and cobwebs were many.

To his relief, Lily was not disgusted but quite interested in the ugly room with its mysterious boxes and dark corners. Soon, the two were comfortably plopped on his bed, paging through his mother's magic books. He introduced her to his green and yellow garden snake, Salazar, who she was delighted to meet.

Lily soon discovered the random oversized clothing and interesting artifacts that had occupied most of Severus's playing hours before he had met her. They played happily for a while, she in a floral patterned bathrobe and admiral's hat and he in a stained Black Sabbath concert T-shirt and a lavender sunhat with a ridiculous arrangement of flowers on top. Eventually, however, Lily was put off by Severus's commands to keep the noise down whenever she laughed loudly or ran about the room.

"You sound like my mum, Sev," she laughed and began to spin around until she accidently knocked a box to the floor with a crash, "Oops," she giggled.

Severus froze. He strained his ears, listening for a grunt or moan of wakefulness.

"Quiet!" he hissed at Lily, who abruptly stopped laughing.

"What are you doing?" she asked a bit nervously, seeing how pale his face had become.

When Severus was sure he heard nothing he relaxed, "Nothing."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "Nothing?"

"Well, i-it's just that my dad's asleep right now and he—and he doesn't like to be woken up," Severus sputtered.

"That's just ridiculous," Lily huffed, taking off her admiral's hat and bathrobe, "Just wake the loaf up! Who sleeps in the middle of the day like that?"

_Alcoholics with no job do,_ Severus resisted the urge to say. He did not want to destroy her pretty illusions of fathers being strong but warm men who read the paper with their tea and gave their children hugs and piggyback rides. She must not know of the other kind of father.

Severus pulled off his dress up clothes as well, as he did so, his shirt lifted up a bit and exposed a bruised rib cage.

"Oh my gosh! Sev!" Lily cried.

"What?" he asked, tossing the old clothes on the floor, oblivious to what she had seen.

"You're all bruised!" she nearly shouted and move towards him.

"I-I'm fine, I just fell down the stairs a couple of days ago," he said hastily.

"Fell down the stairs?" she echoed, and a pit grew in his stomach—she did not believe him.

"You sure do fall down a lot and run into things too," she said, "You're so clumsy, Sev."

Severus fought the desire to sigh with relief, she did not know. Lily led a very sheltered life. Evil people were the stuff of movies. Cruel parents meant getting grounded for an unfair reason. She could not conceive anything evil happening to her friend—who would want to hurt him? Severus had told her about his parents' arguments—watered down versions of course. Even these left her appalled. She could never know. She should never know.

Lily coughed, "Ugh, I'm thirsty, and it's getting to hot up here. Let's go get a drink." She made to climb down the attic stairs.

"No!" Severus grabbed her arm, "You can't!"

If it was one thing Lily detested, it was being told what to do. Her sister bossed her around enough at home. She pulled away from him.

"Don't tell me what to do," she sniffed, "I don't care if your dad doesn't like to be woken up."

Severus became frantic. He rushed in front of her and shoved her away from the stairs.

"Hey!" Lily yelled, but looked hurt showed in her green eyes.

"Go home!" Severus snapped.

She looked down, she did not know what to say. Why had he suddenly become so angry with her? She had never seen him look so frightening, not even on that day in the playground.

"Sev, I'm--" she began in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"I said go away!" his voice cracked and he shoved her again, "You stupid, annoying girl, always bothering me with your dumb questions and stupid games! Just stay away, I've had enough of you!

Lily looked to be on the verge of bursting tears. No one had ever shouted at her like that before. No one had ever laid their hands on her like that before. She turned and ran for the attic window. When she was out of sight, Severus relaxed enough to realize he had made a terrible mistake. He had hurt Lily, something he could not have imagined doing the day before. He was breathing heavily and self-loathing began to tear at him like an icy claw. But it would have no time to rip him apart.

"Goddamn…fuckin'," there came a loud bang from downstairs.

No time for loathing when fear comes alive.

&$ -- &$ --

Lily looked out the window. The book in her lap had been open to the same page for the last half hour. It had been nearly a week since she last saw Severus. Ever since their spat in the attic, she had not even caught a glimpse of him. Why? Was he avoiding her? Was he still angry with her for whatever it was she did?

No, Lily thought as she came to the guilty realization that Severus could never stay angry with her. He was probably just pretending—no, he looked too scary to be pretending—or he really was angry and felt so bad he could not speak to her. Why? It was something else, but what? Her thoughts chased each other in circles.

She snapped the book shut and stood up. She would just have to go ask him herself, it was the only way she was going to find out why he was acting so strangely. The only way they could be together again.

Lily set off deliberately for Severus's house, the mid afternoon sun bore down on her. It was such a long walk. The Snape household was isolated, it was much older than the other houses and crouched on a swath of undesirable, swampy property. She trekked across the yellow, bare yard and ascended the steps.

Asking for Severus at the Snape household was very hit and miss for Lily. Often, no one answered the door even though she could hear people moving about inside. Whenever anyone did answer the door, it was always Severus. Lily would have thought Severus did not have parents if she had not caught a glimpse of Mrs. Snape sprawled on the couch or Mr. Snape lumbering about the kitchen whenever Severus cracked open the door. When she asked him about this strange behavior he flushed and mumbled something about bill collectors.

Lily resolved she would stay on the front porch until someone opened the door. She rapped the knocker and waited. No one answered, but she thought she could hear muffled voices coming from inside. She rapped again and again there was no answer. She was sure she could hear voices now. She bit her lip, mum always told her it was very rude to enter uninvited into other people's houses—but she felt as if she had no choice—something was wrong with Sev and she was going to find out what it was. She would help him. Lily turned the handle and the heavy door creaked open.

Her first impression of the Snape home was that it must surely be haunted. Everything was deathly still, even the dust was suspended. The walls and furniture looked as though they had been assaulted by angry ghouls. But Lily did not have time to feel the creeps on her skin, for the muffled voices behind the front door were actually roaring shouts and cries. They blasted in her ears.

"BROKE ANOTHER BLOODY DISH! YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR WHORE OF A MOTHER!"

There was a great crash and clang and a low whimper. Lily's heart pounded against her chest as she took a shaky step toward the kitchen.

"COME HERE! LITTLE BASTARD, YOU'RE MAKING THINGS WORSE!"

All the moisture had left Lily's mouth, leaving it dry as dust. She clenched her fists and walked trembling into the kitchen threshold. She let out a hoarse cry.

Severus was pinned to the hard floor by his neck, which was gripped by a meaty fist. He was kicking and clutching feebly, like some sort of grotesque marionette. There was an angry purple and black sore on his face. Over his father's shoulder, he could see her through his blurred vision. Their eyes met.

Lily snatched the closest object, a dusty porcelain plate, and hurled it at Severus's father. She let out a strangled cry, "Leave him alone!"

The plate hit him not with the strength of a little girl's throw, but with something much stronger. It shattered into a million fine shards, cutting deep into his flesh. Mr. Snape roared and whirled around, leaving Severus gasping like a fish on the floor.

At the sight of him, Lily's strength failed her. He was a monster. His eyes were wild with rage and blood from his cuts ran down his bare, muscular arms. He seemed capable of tearing her limb from limb and looked like he had every intention of doing so. She froze as he advanced. Her trance was only broken when his hand clamped around her arm. She cried out and tried to twist away but he was much too strong.

"_Another little witch.__ Another little cunt_," he snarled as he yanked her around. Her shoulder screamed with pain.

Severus had managed to support himself by clinging to the kitchen sink. He saw it, he saw his father lay his hand on Lily and his entire field of vision turned blood red before erupting in an violent flash of white light.

Mr.Snape howled and released Lily. He clawed at his face, yellow foamy liquid was gushing from his eyes, his ears, his nose, his skin. Lily dashed past him to Severus. They clutched each other for a moment, not knowing quite what to do, before Severus grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her through the back door of the kitchen.

The two crashed down the steps of the back porch. Severus stumbled and fell and Lily yanked him upward again. The earth spun beneath him, the world was a whirlpool of colors. He heard Lily's voice but it seemed distant and far away.

"Sev, hurry please. He's coming! He's coming! Oh God…please, please, please," her voice was high and on the verge of hysteria. He sped up for her, at least he thought he sped up.

Lily looked behind her again. Even in the state he was in, Severus's father was gaining on them. He was staggering closer. He would catch them. They would die. Lily was sure. She wanted her mum and dad. She did not want to die. And Sev, what if Sev died? Please no, please, please…

A great gust of wind swept them forward. Her feet felt light, Severus's nearly collapsed weight felt like a feather against her. They almost seemed to fly across the field. Behind them a wall of thick green shoots sprung up, each had a trunk wider than a man could put his arms around and they intertwined to form an impenetrable barricade. At the head of each shoot, a flower blossomed. A sunflower, a daisy, a rose, something completely unidentifiable. They sprung up wherever the children fled, growing smaller as the gust of wind died down.

Lily collapsed on her knees on the tall, fine grass, pulling Severus down with her. They clung to each other again. Every breeze sounded like someone crashing toward them. Every snap of a branch made them flinch. Lily looked at Severus's face—one eye was swollen shut but his other eye was wide with terror.

"What do we do?" she whispered and noticed that she was crying.

"I'm sorry," Severus croaked.

"What?" Lily's eyes narrowed, she did not understand.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for pushing you and yelling at you, I didn't mean it. I--" he shut his mouth, he felt faint. He leaned more heavily against Lily.

"I know," she said and pulled him closer.

"I know what to do. My mum taught me this prayer," she said slowly, jumping at the sound of another crash.

"Prayer?" Severus mumbled. The world was receding. Her hair was so nice and soft. Maybe he would sleep for a while…

"It's like magic. Let's say it together."

Lily began, "He lets me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."

"He lets me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

"Yea, though I…walk through the valley of the shadow of Death."

"I will fear no evil…for you are with me…"

The world around them and they themselves grew calmer. It was not crashes they heard, but wind in the trees. They were safe. They were protected.

Lily had never felt so exhausted, so absolutely drained. Severus was not moving against her. He was asleep, or unconscious. They fell together on the soft grass, peacefulness gracing their faces.

&$ -- &$ --

"Can you believe a kid managed this, sir?" asked a young man wearing a badge with two M's on it.

The older man who he was questioning shook his head, "An impressive piece of work. It was easy to wipe the memories of the Muggles who saw it—but getting rid of it. We tried burning, vanishing, everything. Jones managed to shrink them down to size. Good man, Jones."

"I sent McCarty to speak with the children's parents—one of which is proving very hard to track down," said the young man.

"Those Snapes," the old man sighed, "Trouble all around."

"The girl was the one who managed it. I'm sure a stern lecture will set her straight," said the young man.

"Quite," the old man agreed and took out his pocket watch, "Looks like everything is in order. I'll be off then," he vanished with a pop.

The Muggles never suspected there had once been gargantuan, monstrous flowers blooming in the Snapes' backyard. They accepted that there had always been a large, spectacular garden with normal sized flowers there. They always stopped to comment on its beauty during their walks and scratched their heads at how the Snapes had come by such a wonderful garden.

The garden stayed beautiful for decades afterward, through the summer, fall, winter, and spring. People claimed it as their own, adding lawn gnomes and benches and planting shady trees. They gathered and told frightening stories of the empty, dilapidated house next door. They spent their lazy summer afternoons there, reading, napping, playing. They took shelter from the harsh sun. They lay on the soft grass, well away from the roaring, frightening world to be with their friends or lovers or children.

Phew. That was a trial. Any thoughts? I'm not sure about the ending of this chapter. I like it but, I dunno. Any other thoughts are also appreciated.


	7. The Purple Train to

Hmm, there didn't seem to be as much interest in my last chapter as the others. Maybe you guys prefer fluffiness. Well behold, the fluff chap cometh! Heh, that was lame but I enjoyed it! Here's two chapters, I've been so busy these last couple of weeks so sorry about the wait. Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Six**

**The Purple Train to…**

"Oh c'mon Sev, it isn't that bad!" Lily said as she held the garden hose over his head.

Severus was crouched like a frog in a little metal tub full of cold water and dish soap. His gray, baggy clothes were sopping wet and sticking to him. Petunia and a couple of the older neighborhood girls were jeering at him a short distance away. It was _that _bad. He was about to open his mouth to protest for the thousandth time but was intercepted by another assault from the hose water. He coughed and sputtered and shut his eyes tight.

"If you would take your silly coat and shirt off, it wouldn't be as bad either y'know," Lily said, "Boys are allowed to take their shirts off y'know."

Severus grumbled something unintelligible.

It had been a year since the terrible incident at the Snape house and he and Lily never spoke of it. Everything was said in silence, through their eyes. Comfort was given, explanation was given, and understanding was made without saying a word.

A couple of things had changed between them—they were now closer than ever. They had become virtually inseparable and easily weathered their last year at the Muggle school. Severus virtually lived at the Evans' household, avoiding his home more steadfastly than ever. Even after his mother returned home with a new and ready wand, he stayed away.

Mother had become unbearable since she returned. Ministry officials had tracked her down at her aunt's house after the garden incident and the fact she had a half-blood son and a Muggle husband was revealed. She had been receiving sympathy and aid from her family but that was instantly replaced with loathing and disownment. She returned home, more dejected and bitterer than she had ever been.

Lily laughed at his half-hearted complaints, "You're so grumpy Sev. Remember, whenever you're feeling down—four more weeks until Hogwarts!"

Lily felt her heart skip as she said it. Soon they would be a real witch and wizard. They would finally learn what they could only constantly talk about. She so desperately wanted to see the world Severus raved about with such brightness in his eyes. Oh, and her parents were actually proud of her! Lily had been concerned about what they would think when it came time for her to attend Hogwarts. If she had not been so concerned about Sev, she would have been terrified when the Ministry officials spoke with her parents. But now they looked at her and to a lesser extent, Severus, with a certain awe. For the first time in her life, she was getting more attention than the elder Petunia.

"Yeah…" Severus's eyes glazed a bit, as though he were imagining the massive double doors of the Great Hall he had read so much about in _Hogwarts, a History. _

Severus stood up and slopped out of the tub. He wrung out his soaked coat and long hair. He flapped and shook and looked a bit like a scraggly alley cat after a heavy rain.

"Squeaky clean!" Lily smiled, "Wait here a second," Lily skipped into the house and emerged seconds later with a lump of clothing.

"Mum took me and Tuney clothes shopping the other day," she tossed the clothes to Severus, "I had some extra allowance money so I bought you these," she finished with a smile.

Severus flushed scarlet, "You didn't have to…"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Well duh, no one was forcing me. Go try them on, I want to see if I got the sizes right."

Severus looked around, he certainly could not enter Mrs. Evan's immaculate house dripping wet. He opted for one of the many large bushes of the in the Evans' backyard and changed behind it. Lily had bought him a comfortable pair of bell bottom blue jeans and a green cotton t-shirt. He felt strange wearing them. Feeling clean and comfortable was rather alien to him.

He emerged from the bushes to find Lily carefully arranging a plastic lawn chair and other items. When she looked up and saw him she grinned, "How do you like them?"

"They're great," he mumbled sheepishly.

Lily motioned to the lawn chair, "Sit," she said.

Severus was not sure whether he liked the glint in her eyes, but he obeyed her. She wrapped a hideous looking plaid and floral tablecloth around him and started to hum cheerily.

"Er, Lily, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Lily said vaguely and he began to feel a light tug of a comb in his hair, "Just giving you a trim."

Severus's hair was quite fine and straight and easy to comb once all the dirt and grime was washed out. Lily reached for her scissors.

"Do you—know how to do that?" Severus asked a bit nervously.

"Of course I do—I think," said Lily.

There were a couple of hesitant snips, but soon Lily was confidently snipping and combing away, humming a high little tune. She trimmed about an inch and brushed the excess hair of his shoulders.

"I never knew you could be so girly," Severus teased gently.

"_No,_" Lily pointed at Petunia and her friends who were painting each other's toenails and giggling at nothing, "That is what you would call—oh look!"

Two barn owls swooped over the girls who shrieked and fled in all different directions. They glided toward Lily and Severus. One dropped a letter at Lily's feet, the other dropped a letter on Severus's lap.

Severus snatched up his letter. His hands trembled when he saw the wax stamp with the Hogwarts coat of arms. He read the address.

Severus Snape

Under a Tablecloth

The Backyard

7 Spinner's End

He greedily tore open the letter. How long had he been waiting for this! His eyes raced over the parchment and his heart beat faster with every word.

"Oh! It's from Hogwarts Sev!" he barely heard Lily's cry. Finally, Hogwarts.

&--$--&--

"Sev, are you sure you know where you're going?" Lily asked as they made their way down a dirty street with Lily's parent's in tow.

"Of course I do," Severus said loudly, but there was a little doubt in his voice. After all, he had never actually been to Diagon Alley.

The two had discussed almost nothing but their letters and supply lists for the past two weeks and Lily's parents almost matched their enthusiasm.

The one dark spot on the past two weeks was when Severus showed his mother his acceptance letter. The old Eileen Snape, no matter how tired or foul tempered, would have lit up with pride and told one of her wonderful stories about Hogwarts. She took the letter from him and glanced over it tiredly before saying, "Well don't expect me to drag you to Diagon Alley to get your supplies. Go with that Mudblood girl you're always with."

Then, seeing his expression, she said, "There is some money in my trunk upstairs. If you buy everything secondhand, you might have enough left over for an owl."

"Right here!" Snape said triumphantly and not without a little relief.

"That pub?" Lily asked skeptically.

"What pub?" asked the puzzled Mr. and Mrs. Evans.

"They can't see it because they're Muggles," Snape explained to Lily, "You'll have to guide them there."

Lily grabbed her parents hands and followed Severus into the pub called the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh my," Mrs. Evans gasped as the interior of a pub seemed to materialize around her.

"Now we just have to tap a couple of bricks with our wands," said Severus matter-of-factly.

"But…" said Lily, momentarily distracted by the brightly cloaked figures sitting at a nearby table, "We don't have wands."

Severus faltered, feeling rather foolish, "Um, well…"

"I sure someone will help us," Lily strode over to the kindly looking bartender, "Please," she asked, explaining their plight, "so, could you help us?"

The bartender, who warmly introduced himself as Tom, led the four into a small courtyard behind the bar and tapped one of its bricks, "There you are," he smiled as the wall opened up.

The Evans' family gasped and even Severus felt his breath hitch. Diagon Alley was before them in all of its bustling, magical glory. Severus and Lily looked at one another, grabbed each other's hand and tore down the sidewalk, Lily's nervous parents chasing after them.

Lily could not wipe the look of awe off her face. It was everything Severus said it would be and more. The colors, the clothes, the strange artifacts—the very air was alive with magic. Severus smiled so broadly his face hurt, he too was not disappointed.

Their eyes met and they seemed to read each other's minds, "Our wands!"

"Ollivander's is this way," Severus said almost giddily, he had never felt so full of life. A new world was opening to him and Lily.

"Ah, Severus," chimed Mr. Evans, "You said, er, normal money isn't good here. That we'd have to go to Pringbotts bank and exchange it."

"Oh yeah, it's that big building up there, I'll show you--"

"No dear, that's all right," said Mrs. Evans, "You two will be bored to death waiting for us in the bank. We'll meet you at that Ollivander's ."

Severus wondered if he should tell the parents Gringotts was run by goblins. He smirked and decided against it. Besides, as much as he wanted to see Gringotts, he wanted his wand even more.

"Just be careful," Mrs. Evans called as the two flew down the crowded street.

Ollivander jumped as his door crashed open. His nerves were shot from dealing with wild eleven year olds and their parents all day. There was a particular awful boy with messy black hair who had climbed on his shelves earlier that day while his parents simply cooed adoringly. Ollivander was not an angry man, but that boy needed a good hex or two.

The day was just slowing down when two unsupervised first years bounced in front of him. The girl looked nice enough, but the boy looked quite dreadful and ready to wreak havoc.

"Here for wands?" Ollivander smiled.

"Yeah!" the two shouted and Ollivander winced from the noise, but his smile returned. He still recalled the excitement of receiving his first wand.

"You first, girl," Olivander gout out his measuring tape, "And what is your name?"

Severus stood back, watching Lily with that intent stare he always gave her until he realized someone was next to him. He looked down. It was a sickly boy about his age, his nose was buried in a book. The boy felt Severus's presence and looked up, "Hullo, what's your name?"

"Severus Snape," Severus said, suspicious for no real reason.

"Remus Lupin," said the boy, "Are you getting your wand?"

Severus snorted, "Well, why else would I be here?"

"I dunno," the boy mumbled, "I'm waiting for my mum and dad here."

Severus shifted a bit guiltily, the boy wasn't so bad. Lily would have told him off for being so rude, "Yeah, we're waiting for Lily's mum and dad--"

There was whoosh and Lily cried, "Look! Look! Sev! I did it!"

A green beret with a purple feather had suddenly materialized and floated through the air and onto Severus's head.

"Wonderful!" said Ollivander, "10 and a half inches, willow, phoenix feather core! You next young man."

Severus nervously approached the counter, his doubts were beginning to surface. What if he could never find a wand? And his fear only grew as he tried wand after wand. None seemed to respond to him. He began to feel foolish, especially since he had forgotten to take that silly hat off his head. He looked up at Lily, was she silently laughing at him? Their eyes met and she gave him a small reassuring smile. Severus waved the wand he was holding, it grew warm and there was flash of blinding light. A bouquet of white lilies sprung from the wand.

"Oh! Most impressive!" exclaimed Ollivander, "Eleven inches, oak, dragon heartstring core!"

Severus strode over to Lily and handed her the bouquet, "I think these suit you more than me," he said, wanting desperately to say instead with a handsome flourish, 'These are for you.'

Lily laughed, "Much better than my hat suits you."

They spent the day tramping about Diagon Alley, buying robes and cauldrons. All they had left to get were their books when Severus suddenly stopped, "Let's go this way," he said. They were at the entrance to Knockturn Alley. He started but stopped when he felt resistance in his hand.

He turned to Lily, "What's wrong?"

"Well—I—it looks scary down there," Lily blushed.

"Don't be silly, it's fine. My mum told me all about this place," Severus said reassuringly. He pulled on her hand again.

She did not move, "I—I really don't think we should go down there Sev."

Severus looked at her. She really did look frightened, but she also trusted him. If he persisted once more she would have given in. But he did not.

"Let's go get our books," he said.

They heard the Evans's call for them, but neither noticed as Lily thanked him with her eyes.

"What's wrong, Lily?" Severus asked, a train whistle almost drowning out his voice. The two were lined up and ready to run through Platform 9 and 3/4.

"Nothing…" Lily said glancing back at her parents and her sulking sister.

Severus did not understand her behavior. He had not looked back when he walked away from his mother. He had no qualms about leaving home. Lily however looked on the verged of tears.

"Lily," he said.

Lily looked at him. Her eyes were filled with worry, anxiety and sadness. It made him feel ill.

He smiled, a rare thing even around her, "We're going to Hogwarts."

Her eyes brightened, "On a purple train with purple smoke, right?"

Severus nodded. He took his trunk cart in one hand and hers in the other. Together, they raced toward the platform.

Another chapter down! R&R please. Reviews make me happy : )


	8. Everything's Been Sorted Out

**Chapter 7**

**Everything's Been Sorted Out**

Lily pulled Severus through the train corridor, ignoring the sniggers they were attracting as the only two in their school robes and their hand holding. Stupid bullies! Especially that messy headed, pampered looking one! She had always thought (somewhat naively) that nasty people would cease to exist when she and Sev went off to Hogwarts.

She slid open a compartment, which was empty apart from a sleeping, sickly looking boy Severus recognized from Ollivander's. The two plopped next to each other by the window.

"Really, who would call someone a stupid name like Snivellus?" Lily huffed, "What are they, in primary school or something?"

Severus shrugged it off in the increasingly aloof way he was beginning to perfect, "Don't worry about it. It's not like we'll have to deal with those gits very often—they'll end up in Gryffindor and we'll be in Slytherin."

Lily frowned, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Severus nodded at the boy across from him, "I talked to him at Ollivander's."

"I saw," Lily grinned, "I was so shocked at seeing you involved in civil discourse with another human, I hardly noticed when my wand started working."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Well he wasn't acting like a prat, so I responded in kind. You underestimate the sheer number of prats in this world, Lily."

There was a rap on the door before it slid open. A witch with a cartful of sweets popped her head in, "You want anything kids?"

Lily and Severus rushed to the cart. All the sweets he had heard about but never tried were piled onto to it. He realized with a sinking feeling that he only had a handful of Knuts—enough for a couple of pieces of jaw sealing toffee and a piece of everlasting bubblegum.

"I don't know what any of this is," Lily sighed but perked up, "Sev, you tell me what's good and I'll buy it."

"Well, the chocolate frogs are good, so are the pumpkin pasties…"

The two returned to their compartment with armfuls of sweets.

"You didn't have to--" Severus began.

"Oh stuff it," said Lily, "What decent person would buy sweets only for themselves and pig out in front of their friend who didn't have any? Agh! The chocolate frog hopped on me! Get it off, Sev! Get it off!"

Severus chuckled and plucked the animated candy from Lily's forehead.

Much later, the Lupin boy woke up and sleepily introduced himself to Lily. They offered him their remaining sweets and he thanked them profusely. The three talked comfortably for what seemed like hours about everything from shoes and Quidditch to whether they would have to fight a troll at the Sorting.

"I don't think we do. Mum didn't imply anything like that when she talked about it," Severus began when he felt the train starting to slow down.

They jumped up but regretted it as the train gave a sickening lurched and threw them forward. They recovered quickly and scrambled out of the train.

There was a great confusion and chaos as hundreds of students in identical black robes streamed out of the train. Severus and Lily locked arms while Lily grabbed Remus's. They heard a call.

"Firs' years! This way! Firs' years!" came a cry from an impossibly tall man. Severus Lily and Remus piled into a little boat on a black lake with two other boys.

"Hey Sirius! It's Snivellus and his girlfriend!" one of the boys sneered.

"Looks like they've added another freak to their circus James old boy," Sirius pointed at Remus who shrunk back as the boat began to slid forward of its own accord, "Going to have a regular troupe of rejects before long."

"Careful, your heads are getting so big you may sink our boat and we'll end up at the bottom of the lake," Severus growled.

"Really?" asked James with a glint in his eye, "I was just thinking of going for a little dip. How about you Sirius?"

"Oh definitely," Sirius smirked, "You three up for it?"

"I can't swim," Remus gulped quietly.

With identical grins on their faces, James and Sirius began rocking the boat.

"Stop it!" Lily cried.

Severus snarled and leapt at James, the movement was just enough to capsize the little boat. Severus struggled to swim upward as the freezing water weighed down his clothing. Suddenly, he felt as though a giant serpent had wrapped around his arms and chest. He could not move and he could not hold his breath much longer. Panic was beginning to set in when he shot upward over the lake, supported by a giant tentacle. He deliriously appreciated the fine view before the tentacle swung him over the lake and dropped him unceremoniously on the shore.

Severus coughed and sputtered and was infinitely relieved when he saw a Lily shaped figure coughing and sputtering a short distance away. Farther to his right, Remus was sprawled on the ground, breathing shallowly more from fear than any real harm. Next to Remus were James and Sirius. They were sprawled on the ground as well, but they were shaking from fits of laughter.

The giant man arrived shortly on his boat and told the five off for acting so foolishly. He waved at the lake and called, "Thanks Squiddy!"

The first years filed into the Great Hall. Severus and Lily were too busy shivering to be in awe. There was a severe looking woman and a stool and a hat. All of the Hogwarts students were sitting attentively at their respective tables. When the woman explained that the first years must try on the hat to be sorted, they looked visibly relieved. They were amazed when the hat began to sing but grew nervous when she began to call their names.

"Abbot, Richard."

A sandy haired boy raced up to the hat, slammed it on his head and didn't even bother to sit down. The Hall tittered with laughter.

"Gryffindor!" yelled the hat and the middle right table cheered.

"Avery, Marcus."

"Slytherin!" the middle left table cheered.

The list continued until, "Black, Sirius."

Sirius strutted up to the hat, but nerves were evident on his face. The instant the hat touched his head it shouted, "Gryffindor!"

As the list went on, Lily edged closer to Severus.

"Evans, Lily."

Severus watched her. She was beautiful and graceful even when she was sopping wet. The hat was silent for a long time.

_Not Gryffindor. Not Gryffindor._

_And why not?__ Gryffindor would be a great match. You have boldness, compassion, and you wear your emotions on your sleeve. I suppose __Ravenclaw__ would be fine, you are very intelligent__ and reasonable. _

_What about __Slytherin?_

_Slytherin?__ You want that because of young Severus I'm sure. You are quite clever, but there is no shrewdness in you. You can still have that boy as a __friend,__ all you will have to do is be stronger than both of the ancient and powerful houses._

_What do you mean?_

_I think your heart is in Gryffindor but your soul is in __Slytherin__. And if it came down to it I'd rather your heart be broken than your soul. Oh how difficult! I suppose it better be Gryffindor._

_Alright…_

"Gryffidor!" the hat shouted.

Lily walked sadly over to the Gryffindor table, catching Severus's eye.

After some time Remus was sorted into Gryffindor. James, wearing his sogginess like a badge of honor was instantly sorted into the house of his father.

"Snape, Severus."

Severus walked up to the hat. Sliding and almost falling on his wet trainers. The Hall sniggered. Severus put on the hat, which thankfully covered his eyes from the sneering faces.

_So here's the boy I've seen so m__uch about. Shrewd Severus __Snape__, you're in for a rough ride.__ Tell me, do you love the Evan's girl?_

Severus, suspicious of the hat, did not answer.

_Ah paranoia, a hallmark __Sltytherin__ trait. Nothing to worry about lad, I won't proclaim Severus loves Lily to the whole Hall._

_I do._

_Love her?_

_Yes._

_Would you rather break her heart or break her soul?_

Severus was taken aback by the question. Both answers seemed so terrible. For some reason he thought of the dementors and their kiss. The fate worse than death.

_I would break her heart._

_Brave lad.__Slytherin__ it is._

"Slytherin!"

The middle left table cheered as Severus stumbled up and joined them.

There you are. Reviews are much appreciated. Chapter eight shall be called "Why First Years are Not Allowed to Have Brooms." : )


	9. Why First Years Are Not Allowed to

Here's the next chap. Thank you guys for all the wonderful comments so far. I'm really glad that there is still interest in my story.

Disclamer: Harry Potter and characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Why First Years Are Not Allowed to Own Brooms**

It was a chilly November morning at Hogwarts and a line of twenty-six, rosy cheeked first years bounced about the Quidditch pitch. Except Severus Snape of course, who's eyes were sharp and focused. He was going to make his mother proud today. He imagined owling her about his natural knack for flying a broomstick, about how he would be a great Beater just like she was and she would send him back a letter (which would be her first of the term) glowing with pride and encouragement.

"Sev," Lily tugged his hand, "Come stand next to me," she pulled Severus to her side and he shifted a bit uncomfortably when he noticed he was a Slytherin boy sandwiched in a line of babbling Gryffindor girls.

The two stood in front a pair of sad looking school brooms. Severus had considered taking his mother's broom, but it was ancient in her day and he would have been laughed off the pitch if he brought it.

"We're going to fly!" Lily piped before feeling rather silly for pointing out the obvious, "Your mum was a good flyer right?"

Severus nodded enthusiastically, unaware that James and his gang were making their way toward him.

"Your _mum_ played Quidditch, Snivellus?" James asked loudly enough for most of the class to hear, "A girl playing Quidditch?"

"And what's wrong with that?" Lily turned red.

"Nothing, nothing," James said hastily and winked, "Especially if you decided to play, Evans," the class tittered.

Severus said nothing but glowered more viciously than any eleven year old should have been capable of. His knuckles were white on his wand. He and Potter's gang had already had several altercations this term, usually with him losing in some embarrassing way. The only time he stood a chance was when Lily was with him, Potter seemed less inclined to torment him or others he perceived to be unworthy of his presence.

James ran a hand through his already messy hair, "_I _know everything about Quidditch at Hogwarts so I would know if your mum was any good or not or if she even played. I could see you lying to impress your only friend."

The class burst into "oohs" and sniggers as Severus leapt forward. James and Sirius drew their wands, Peter squeaked in excitement and Remus pretended there was something very interesting off in the distance. Lily leapt in front of Severus.

"That git isn't worth the effort, Sev," she said quietly.

"What's her name Snivelly? Or are you making up stories for your girlfriend?" James taunted.

"Eileen Prince!" Severus snarled.

"Eileen…Prince," James looked thoughtful before a look of recognition swept across his face and he began to howl with laughter, "Beater for Slytherin? 1954 to1958? Merlin's beard!" he gasped for breath, "When I first saw her picture I thought she was a man! Ugliest broad I've ever seen, sure it wasn't your dad?"

Severus tore away from Lily "STUPEFY!"

James was thrown into his three friends and they toppled over like bowling pins.

"Enough horsing around boys," Madam Hooch approached looking distractedly at her clipboard. The first years hushed and ordered themselves.

"Alright, put your brooms in front of you," Madame Hooch instructed and all but Remus, Lily and Severus, who had to use school brooms, put theirs on the soft grass. James and Sirius both had Nimbus 500's, the finest models to date.

"First, I want you to say 'up'," she instructed. They obeyed, only a few came to their owners, Severus and Lily were included.

"It worked," Lily said with surprise.

"That's because you're not afraid," Severus said, "You're too brave to have a little thing like flying frighten you."

"Now, one at a time, when I tell you, I want you to mount your brooms, then hover a few feet from the ground," She pointed her quill absentmindedly at Severus, "You first boy, the stringy one."

The class laughed as Severus stepped forward. He would show them. He mounted his broom and rose slowly. The broom gave a sudden jerk and he was nearly thrown. It shot upward twenty feet and began swirling, doing figure eights, and violent spins. It was almost all Severus could do to hold on.

A blonde girl next to Lily was clutching her sides with mirth. Lily gave her a sound sock on the arm, mounted her broom and flew after Severus, kicking dust onto the blonde girl's robes. The girl growled, mounted her own broom and took off after her.

Severus was hanging upside down by his knees when he saw it. Potter had his wand out with a great smirk on his face, mumbling under his breath. He drew his wand from the tangle of his robes and fired a curse at him. James's hands shot to his face as giant green boils began to swell. He regained his balance just as Lily reached him.

"Sev, are you alright?" she asked, "What--"

At that moment she was rammed by a girl with blonde hair, "These robes cost twenty Galleons!"

Severus was so distracted by the collision he barely had time to dodge when Sirius zipped by him snarling, "Greasy git!"

Soon most of the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years had taken to the skies despite Madame Hooches shouts and threats. Curses and hexes were being fired in every direction. Peter had taken the chaos as an opportunity to sneak out to the equipment shed and release several Bludgers.

James and Severus were dueling violently. Severus glanced James with a curse and took the time to check on Lily who had solidly defeated the blonde girl and was now tangled with what was probably the girl's friend.

She looked quite intimidating, his Lily. He loved when she departed from her silly sweetness, and politeness she held around most people and let loose. She could be so witty, so passionate, so powerful. He thought back to their summers and the Muggle school when she—

WHAM!

Stars burst in front of his vision and his broom dipped. He tried to reach the ground. He felt the top of the grass brush the tips of his toes before everything went black.

"—Two cracked ribs, one broken arm, three concussions, one missing nostril, one smashed jaw, and cuts and bruises in Merlin knows how many places!" Madame Pomfrey shrieked, "And for what? So a bunch of children can zip around on brooms too powerful for them and they are obviously not ready to control? I've always said…" Severus closed his eyes again.

"I should be up later today," Severus assured Lily who had come to see him in the infirmary the next morning.

"I have good news and bad news," she said while she pushed his hair back and fluffed his pillow, "Bad news is, they found Avery's nostril."

"I never thought you would begrudge someone their nostril," Severus grinned.

"Well, for Avery I'll make an exception…y'know he actually looked better with one nostril…"

Severus started to laugh, but stopped because his ribs hurt, "What's the good news?"

"Potter is out of the infirmary," she stopped, "Oh wipe that look off your face I'm not finished. He's out, but Madame Pomfrey sealed his jaw shut for the next few days so it would heal properly."

Severus's eyes misted over, "No Potter running his mouth off," the two looked at each other, "Do you know what this means?"

Lily smirked, "Payback."

Severus gave his low laugh but winced, "Head hurts," he said.

Lily eyed the bandage on his head, "You want me to kiss it better?"

"Mrk," Severus choked.

She pecked his forehead and asked, "Feel any better?"

He was at Hogwarts, with Lily, who had kissed him. The day was clear and sunny, James Potter could not run his mouth, he was at Hogwarts, Lily had kissed him…

"Mmhm," he sighed and he shut his eyes for a bit.

What do you guys think? Reviews are always appreciated.


	10. Fat

Thanks for the reviews guys. Hope you like this chapter too! sniffle Little Sev and Lily are growing up!

Disclaimer: H. Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Eight**

**"Fat"**

"Wasn't that bliss?" Lily smiled, swinging back and forth on a hammock with Severus by her side, "Potter not being able to speak? No blathering, no stupid ego trips, no hexing innocents? Those were the days," she sighed and dipped a plastic wand into a bottle of bubbles.

"Indeed," Severus agreed. Those were the days when everything was much simpler. When Lucius Malfoy was not spreading rumors about Severus's fearful abilities in the Dark Arts. When Muggle and Mudblood killings were a rare thing. When his mother was still in her right mind. When Lily's pretty clothes did not fit so tightly…

Lily blew a stream of bubbles at him, "What's wrong? You look peaky. Still hurting from when I beat you into the ground during our mud fight yesterday."

"Only my pride," Severus quipped, "What will I do now that my masculinity has been so challenged?"

"Challenged? More like being torn into teeny tiny pieces," Lily pinched her fingers to demonstrate, "Ugh, I still have mud in places I wouldn't like to mention. Tuney nearly fainted when I pulled a big chunk out of my ear this morning," she cackled.

Severus smirked but it faded as he said, "You didn't really believe those rumors about me did you?"

"Which ones? The death eater rumor? The dark arts rumors? The show tunes rumor?" Lily asked coolly.

"The…show tunes rumor?" Severus asked, momentarily thrown off track.

"Yes, you know the one…when you're alone you like to put on the My Fair Lady soundtrack and prance around, doing high kicks with a cutesy smile on your face," Lily gave a wry smile (one of Severus's favorites), "You haven't heard it yet—I'm starting it next year—I thought it would be a nice contrast to 'Severus Snape, Worshipper of the Dark.'"

He could not help but grin at her imagery, at any rate, it was better than the "Severus Snape: The Grease Lord Rises" posters Potter and his gang put up last year. He shook his head and frowned, she was not answering his question.

"Did you Lily?"

It was Lily's turn to frown, "No…not deep down. It was just hard, everyone was telling me all these terrible things about you—more than usual anyway—and there's just so much fear in the air. So many people had to leave school…and…I know we've been through this…but the people you hang around with…"

Severus sighed, the rift that had grown between them felt so tangible toward the end of third year. It made him feel sick, his only friend drifting away. She was so popular, star Gryffindor Seeker, so intelligent, so beautiful. What business did she have with someone like him? It was a question Severus had pondered ever since he was nine, staring up at the spiders on the attic ceiling from his bed each night.

Severus stood up and Lily followed. She clasped his hand. She only came up to his shoulder now. The days were gone when she was taller and bigger than him. They started to walk up a grassy hill.

"Sev?" Lily called to her quiet friend. He seemed so far away, "Sev, we're best friends remember? We'll always be best friends and none of the bullshit at school or anywhere else is going to change that."

Severus looked at her with the intense gaze he posessed since they were children, "You said always?"

Lily nodded, "Always."

And not one week into summer holiday their friendship was sealed once again. They could laugh and act like stupid kids again. How long could they afford to act so was a question neither wanted to think about.

Lily held a bottle of Coke in one hand and a tattered playbook in the other, "Severus, Severus where art thou--," she paused and belched loudly, "--Severus," she finished before collapsing in a fit of giggles.

Severus kneeled somberly one knee and took a swig of his Coke, "Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this?"

"Speak fair Romeo! I mean Severus!"

Severus gave a low rumbling belch and laughed as he plopped on the ground by Lily.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to match that," Lily said, gulping her Coke. She gave a short, high burp and shook her fist at Severus, "Curse you!"

"God, you two are the most disgusting pigs," came a snooty voice.

Lily rolled her eyes, "What do want Tunes?"

Petunia's eyes narrowed, she placed her hands on her hips, and said "We're going to Aunt Barb's for the weekend remember?"

Lily's face looked blank, "I thought that was next week."

"No you dolt, it's today! Wait 'til I tell Mum you're not even packed yet!" Petunia held her head high and headed toward number seven with an air of triumph.

Lily looked apologetically at Severus. They stood up, "See you Monday, Sev," she sighed and hugged him tightly before racing off after Petunia.

Severus sighed, worry was rushing at him even as the tingle on his skin from her embrace was leaving. He should check on Mum. Her state had slowly begun to deteriorate after his first year at Hogwarts. She had none of her old fire. She had taken to staring blankly at the walls for hours, neither speaking nor moving. She would not even fight back against her husband's verbal and physical tirades. Whenever Severus was there to witness he would fling himself between his father and mother, bearing the brunt of the abuse.

He had told Lily of it last summer when she questioned the bruise on his cheek. To his surprise he realized he was crying as he did so. He never cried, they both knew, but Lily held him and questioned him no further.

He creaked the door open, "Mum?"

She was in the chair by the window he left her in after breakfast, "Hello…Severus…" she said without looking away from the window, but there was a small smile on her face.

His mother's deteriorated state was not all bad. On the rare occasions she did speak, she was much kinder to him.

"Hi Mum," said Severus hopping up on a stool beside her, "Feeling well?"

"Fine…fine…you never told me how the school year was," she said airily.

"It was great," he lied, "I got a hundred and ten percent on my Potions exam. All the classes are fun. My friends, we horse around a bit but we don't get into too much trouble."

"Are you still on the Quidditch team?"

At this he shifted uncomfortably. It was one thing to invent friends to horse around with and neglect to mention the intense bullying he was subjected to. It was quite another to lie about this for some reason. It made her so happy to believe he was star Beater on the Slytherin team. True, he had tried out, but those who made the team were miles above him.

"Of course," he said proudly, "I knocked a Gryffindor Chaser clear off his broom in our last match."

She laughed, it was coarse and dusty like it had been locked in a chest in an attic for some time. They were quiet for several minutes before she said, "Let's go out to the garden you and the Evans girl made."

They walked arm and arm outside to a clearing where a cauldron and a bench stood. The garden provided all matter of herbs ideal for potion making. He would spend hours there, either with Lily or alone, experimenting, refining his art. It gave him such a thrill, but it calmed him at the same time.

Eileen Prince spoke no more, but watched her son crouched over the cauldron, muttering and flinging ingredients with grace and skill. How talented he was, how had she never noticed? Just like she had never noticed the wonderful garden. Life had flown past her, leaving her in the dust with only regret and painful memories.

Severus spent the evening with his large, hooked nose in his books, the same books that had gotten him in so much trouble in school. Most of them were nothing dangerous just…different. Many were from the East—those were what fascinated him most—the magic just seemed so much more incredible. He had plenty of books that were Dark, too. The power and grotesque nature of the Dark was captivating, intoxicating. He had never put any of it to use but absorbed every word about it from his moldy books.

"_The __magick__ o__f the __Easte__ does not require a wand. __Magick__ is channeled through the hands and their movements or enchanted weapons and objects--"_

_Scrape. __Thud._"Ow! Damn…"

Severus jerked, the window of his attic slid open and Lily tumbled through it, "Oof."

Severus jumped up, "Are you alright?"

Lily hopped up and dusted herself off, "Fine I just forgot that ladder doesn't have an eighth step."

"What are you doing here?"

Lily smirked and but her hands on her now prominent hips, "What kind of greeting is that?"

"Well, er, your Aunt's…" Severus drifted off

"Tuney got food poisoning from Barb's god awful cooking, so we came home—well the 'rents are at the hospital," Severus looked at her, her smirk was still there but her eyes were shifted downward instead of burning confidently. She was lying.

He knew, she could tell by the look he was giving them, "Alright," she sighed, "I took the car when everyone was asleep and drove back here."

"Impressive," Severus said, his voice was just beginning to take on a deep, silky quality.

"I stopped by here because I knew you'd be a wake, you're an insomniac or something," Lily walked past him and plopped on the foot of his mattress. She rested her elbows on her knees and placed her head on her hands. Severus sat by her as she continued.

"I-I just couldn't stand being there anymore," her voice quivered, "Barb cuts down everything about me…do you think I'm fat Sev?"

"What?" he stared. Fat? How could she think that?

"I know it's a stupid question. I mean, why should I care? I feel like one of those dieting airheads at school," she rambled.

"You're not fat, you're beautiful," Severus said before his own boldness cowed him into silence.

Lily smiled, "I'm asking the wrong person. It's not just Barb either, some of the girls at school say it too."

Severus snorted, "They're jealous. It probably started after that Ravenclaw fifth year asked you to the Yule Ball."

Lily thought for a minute, "Yeah, it did…"

"Like I said, jealous. You just look like more of a woman than they do," he said more quietly, blushing a bit.

Lily leaned on his shoulder, "Barb's a bitch…thanks, Sev, but there's more than that. Uncle Fred and my older cousin, John…they're so…creepy."

"Well, I'm creepy," he said, trying to lighten her mood, "And you don't mind me."

She smiled for his sake, "Yeah, but you're a different kind of creepy. I…I don't know, I don't like the way they look at me."

Severus repressed the urge to snarl. He knew the look, the look he started to notice other boys give her last year. The look he gave her when he was not careful. He did not want to be like those other boys.

"So I left," she said, "I tried to think of somewhere to go, but I could only think of here."

"A dingy attic on the poorer side of Spinner's End?" Severus ventured, ignoring his thumping heart.

"Of course," she scoffed and said, "Let's go to the flat part of your roof."

Severus gathered up some blankets. Whenever she suggested they climb his roof it usually meant they would fall asleep there. They climbed carefully, Severus giving Lily a leg up before scrambling up himself. He wrapped a blanket around her and took one for himself.

Lily glanced at Severus, he was gazing at the stars or perhaps listening to the croaks and chirps of the nearby swamp. She leaned on him and pointed at the stars, connecting them with her fingers, "Those look like a giant ass."

"What?"

"I meant a donkey. Where's your mind at Sev?" Lily said, mocking offense.

"Not in a barnyard, apparently," Severus said dryly.

Lily looked up at him and smiled, he gave a shy smile back. Only she had been privileged enough to see that smile. When she looked back she saw that was the moment when she determined he meant more to her than any other boy, that he should be more than her best friend—exactly what Severus determined at a much younger age.

They talked deep into the night about everything and nothing. About the time they got lost in the woods, about the time they blew up half the Potions dungeon, about silly Muggle Christmas decorations, about whether there was a heaven. Their quiet murmurs drifted into warm, silent cloak of the summer night.

They should package this fluff and use it to make luxury mattresses and pillows : P I love reviews.


	11. Fire Lily

Thanks again for the reviews guys, they are my sustenance : )

Disclaimer: Don't own anything having to do with Harry Potter.

**Chapter Ten**

**Fire Lily**

_Severus and Lily were sitting at a cozy table outside __Florean's__ ice cream parlor. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but not so hot to make things uncomfortable. Lily was tucking into a vat o__f chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup, chocolate whipped cream, dark chocolate shavings, and chocolate chips. Severus decided to on a more modest small vanilla cone. _

_"Why can't you be a pig with me __Sev__?" Lily mocked a whine. _

_"I don't eat much."_

_"I know, you've always been bone thin," Lily looked him over, overcome with the motherly urge to shove a sandwich down his throat._

_Lily turned her attention back at the chocolate concoction and laughed, "__Remus__ would be absolutely green with envy.__"_

_Severus scoffed and Lily gave him a look._

_"What? You and __Remus__ were good friends first year. You still talk to him every now and then. So what's the matter?"_

_"He believes Potter and Black are decent human beings and cows to their every whim," Severus growled and took a bite of his ice__ cream, leaving a dab on his hooked nose, which made for an amusing rather than intimidating picture._

_"He just wants friends," Lily said gently._

_"Someone who bends over backwards for his 'friends' is not someone I want in my company," Severus growled again._

_Lily frowned. You should look at yourself, __Sev__, she thought. She changed the subject._

_"You have ice cream on your nose," Lily reached across the table and pinched the offending drop from his beak. _

_Severus __wipe__ his nose again and blushed, "How long did I have that?"_

_"Long enough for me to be amused," Lily gave a wry smile. _

_" Your__ nose is wonderful, it reminds me of a hawk or maybe a parrot," Lily grinned._

_"Polly __want__ a cracker," quipped Severus, dry as a desert. _

_Lily snorted, "__I bet you can smell fear with that thing too. Though __I suppose it would be difficult to hang spoons off of__ it__," she skillfully hung her spoon on her fine little nose._

_"We're not at Hogwarts yet," said Severus a bit defensively, "That __is__ usually where my appearance is mocked relentlessly. How about a critique of my hair?__ That's always a favorite.__"_

_Lily felt a pit in her stomach, she had not meant it all like that. Damn bullies. Petty people ruin everything and it would resume again in two weeks. She wasn't going to let any of them hurt __Sev__ again, not Potter's gang, __Sev's__ "friends", or any__ other miserable__ toe__rag._

_"Your hair?__ Your hair is wonderful too," she leaned over to stroke it, "Like silk and night and those dark holes in trees people are afraid to look in," she laughed nervously, "That bit was __more about__ you__r__ eyes though."_

_Severus reached out to touch her hair__ his heart thumping in his throat. I__t was cool and lush in the summer warmth, "Are you afraid? To look in I mean.__" _

_She locked his eyes in hers, "Me? Never," she smiled, "That's where I hid all my valuable things when were kids, remember?"_

_"__Mmhm__," Severus hummed. How could he begin to describe her eyes to her? They were too incredible. He could not find the words. He would someday, he vowed, and he would tell her… _

Severus drifted out of his memory as he felt something slick slide down his forehead and heard quiet sniggers. He jerked his head up, his nose had swelled to five times its usual size.

"Excuse me Professor Slughorn," came a pompous voice from behind him.

Professor Slughorn turned distractedly from his lecture, "Yes, Mr. Potter?" he asked indulgently.

"I don't mean to be rude, but Snape's grease is dripping all over the floor, it's making me rather ill. May I be excused?" the class erupted in giggles.

Slughorn frowned. He was torn between punishing the Quidditch star and appeasing his Potions genius or merely diffusing the situation.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, James. You may be excused Severus," he said gruffly.

But Severus was not going to go quietly. He leapt from his chair, slipping a bit on the grease puddle which only intensified the laughter. Never had he been more tempted to use the Dark spells he read so much about. The bullying had only intensified this year. He was attacked and ridiculed on a constant basis. Tripped in the library, hexed in the hallway all for the savage enjoyment of his peers. Nothing had ever made him feel so trapped, so ugly. Not even living at Spinner's End.

James folded his arms, not even bothering to drop his wand. He knew his victim would cave to the embarrassment. They always did and it gave him such a rush.

"No girl to protect you this time _Sev_," James smirked, "Too busy pining for me in the hospital wing I expect."

"She's in the hospital wing because you were so preoccupied with stalking her on the Quidditch pitch," Severus snarled, but his voice was distorted be his hexed nose. He sounded like a honking goose.

"Oh Snivvy," James said sweetly, "How sweet. It's so adorable how you're so concerned about someone who is so obviously out of your league."

The class rumbled raucously.

"I never thought the adjective 'adorable' would be used in reference to Snivellus," Sirius crowed.

"Boys!" Slughorn said with as much menace as he was capable, "Severus, excuse yourself."

Severus, who's eyes had ignited into twin sparks of fury, grimaced and turned on his heel. As he left the classroom, Frank Longbottom stuck out his foot and Severus fell on his face. The class all but applauded, even the other Slytherins were quite amused with the whole ordeal.

Severus slid and slipped down the hallway, trying desperately to ignore the stares and Peeves, who was following him with a frying pan full of french fries, cackling evilly. When he entered the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey sighed knowingly. She directed him to a bed, gave poured him a glass of foul smelling liquid, and drew the curtains over him.

The grease slowly began to evaporate and his nose shrunk back almost instantly. He shuddered and drew his long legs to his chest. His eyes stung but he bit his lip and ignored them. He saw a spider crawling across his sheet. He waited until it crawled in front of him before jabbing his wand at it. It ignited in black flames. He watched it twitch for a while.

When it stopped, he flicked it off the bed with his wand. He slid off his bed and sat in a seat by Lily. It was difficult to reach as he had to sift through all the gifts, flowers, candies and cards. To his disappointment, he did not see his present in thw massive piles. It was probably buried, unnoticed.

James's words rang in his head. The bastard was right, he had no chance. Lily would never want him as anything more than a sidekick. James fancied her he knew, and he would get her. It was the only thing the Boy Who Had Everything did not have. Severus felt sick. He shyly pulled back Lily's curtain, at least he could still look at her.

She was asleep. There was a great lump on her head and her arm was in a sling. She had plowed into the parading James as she caught the Snitch during a Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. He had apparently shouted something quite provocative for it was not necessary for her to slam into him to catch the Snitch.

Severus's heart gave a great leap. Open over her chest was his gift, a book with an elaborate ebony cover. It was a rare collection of beautifully illustrated Chinese wizarding folktales. His card was loosely clutched in her uninjured hand. He looked down and noticed a bouquet of a dozen tiger lilies that had been burnt to a crisp. He picked them up and read the card.

_From your beloved,_

_James_

_P.S. How about you and me go to the Yule Ball? You know you want to. I'll sweep you off your feet my Lily flower._

Severus smirked. He felt much better. Why did he care so much about what those petty assholes thought of him? He had something none of them would ever have.

Everybody now: Awwww. Next up, Sev and Lily learn to dance! Explosions! James Potter gets his due! Lots of fun.


	12. Flying Fear

Sorry, no dancing in this chapter, that's next chapter now because this idea attacked me and held me hostage. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews as always!

**Chapter Ten**

**Flying Fear**

Severus Snape did not bother to wrap his cloak more tightly against the bitter, late November wind. His battered boots crunched on the frost on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. He was skipping class again, something he had recently made quite a habit of. He still showed up to Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, no amount of jeering could keep him from his favorite subjects, besides, Lily was in those classes. His marks were still top notch, for he did all of his homework in the dark corners of the library, but his teachers still gave him stern lectures and tedious detentions. He just could not take the abuse anymore, Potter's gang had made it fashionable for others to make his life miserable. The weird kid reading the frightening was not human, he was a plaything.

He reached in his satchel and threw pieces of raw meat to the eager group young thestrals. Magnificent beasts. Dark and veiled.

"You can see 'em, eh?"

Severus turned and saw an impossibly large man lumbering toward him. Hagrid, the gamekeeper. Severus always viewed him as a bit of an oaf but admired him for the appreciation of the strange and the dark. The man loved what others misunderstood and hated, Severus at least respected him for that.

"Yes, I can."

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yes," agreed Severus with a small smile as he patted one on its skeletal nose, "They're wonderful."

Hagrid suddenly sounded awkward, "Not many can, ah see 'em y'know, only a few…um,"

"Only those who have seen death," Severus said calmly.

Hagrid changed the subject, "This one here is named Bubbles."

Severus snorted, "You named it, I'm sure."

Hagrid puffed his chest proudly, "I did, known her ever since she a foal," he lowered his voice, "You could ride her over the forest a few times and no one would be the wiser."

Severus looked at the gamekeeper aghast. He had been sorely tempted to fly one of the thestrals, to taste freedom, but cowardice or some other reason kept him bound to the earth. A staff member, even a rather odd one, sanctioning it, shocked him.

"I know you been having a hard time in school," Hagrid said hastily, "With some rotten bullies and everything. Figured some flying would do you good. That's what I do…er would do—not allowed to use magic—but I would do it if I was feeling bloody awful about things."

Severus approached Bubbles and stroked the space between her wings. He looked at Hagrid who smiled, his black eyes twinkling with warmth, "Go on—just don't fall off. I'd hate to explain it to Madame Pomfrey."

Severus gave a rare, if small, smile and mounted the thestral. He held on to its bony neck and pressed his knees to her sides. The thestral whinnied and took off in a gallop. Once it reached the edge of the -forest, it spread its great, bat-like wings and soared into the cloudy mid-morning sky.

He whooped, it was the first whoop in Severus Snape's life. The thrill was unsurpassable. Each powerful beat sent lightning through his body. Each dip made him feel giddy. The thestral swooped and dived through the clouds, the tops of which were alive with sunlight. Severus could not feel his hands in the numbing cold, his fine hair was flying every which way…but he did not care. He did not care about anything else but the wild wind and the endless sky. Not Potter's gang, not Lucius's manipulative ways, not his 'friends' and their schemes, not even his own ugliness could faze him. He had not been so purely happy since the summer.

He clung close to the thestral and murmured in her ear, "Let's dive."

Bubbles screeched in enthusiasm, folded her wings and dropped like a stone. Severus saw the earth spinning at him and laughed. He dared it to hit him. What was death?

At the last moment the mare spread her wings and the two landed lightly on the earth. Severus slid off. He patted her back and she trotted off into the forbidden forest. Severus looked back at Hogwarts and held his high, he could face them, he knew he would soon be free. He walked quickly across the grassy field but his boot caught something soft and warm. He toppled over but scrambled quickly up when he saw what he tripped over.

It was Mary…something…from Gryffindor. Her eyes were staring blankly up at the sky. Blood was seeping through her blouse. He clutched her arms, _Oh Merlin, Oh Merlin! _

"M-Mary," he called to her shakily. She was unresponsive, she had been cursed.

When he removed his hands, he noticed two red marks on her blouse where they had been. His insides screamed with panic until he realized it was his own blood. Thestrals made their riders sweat blood, he knew. Those who rode them had a rather pale, deathly look for some time after. He wiped his brow, there was blood there too. His hair looked worse than Potter's after Quidditch practice, not that he noticed. He was too busy shaking, trying to figure out whether he should move her or run for help. He did not have to decide.

The doors of Hogwarts burst open and hundreds of students flowed out, chatting excitedly about what they would do at Hogsmeade.

--10--

Hell, Severus Snape decided, was not the entire student body thinking him a bloodthirsty, Mudblood hater. No, Hell was Lily Evans screaming at him with fiery hatred he had never before seen in her eyes.

"Lily, please," as he dodged a telescope being hurled at him.

"You cursed my friend, you nearly killed her," Lily screamed as she prepared to curse another heavy object in the astronomy tower, "Then you have the gall call me up here? Want to try to kill me too _Severus?_"

Severus ducked again, "Do you think if Dumbledore didn't believe me I would still be here?"

Lily faltered, "What happened to you? What happened? Three months from summer and you've turned into a…a Death Eater!"

Severus lunged at her and grabbed her wrists. She twisted, but his grip was too strong.

"A Death Eater!?" it was his turn to scream, "Do you even know what that means you naïve little girl? I have seen Death! What happened to you? When did you stop using your head? When did you start listening to everything these fools tell you?" He shoved Lily against the wall, where to his infinite guilt, she began to cry.

"Why do you think I'm here?" she sobbed, "I didn't want to believe. I _couldn't_ believe you would do that to Mary. It's just…"

"It's just, what?" Severus breathed.

"Everyone is so afraid. Like I told you this summer. It catches hold. Everyone needs someone to blame," her sobs had subsided into heavy breaths, "Who would want to hurt Mary like that?"

"I don't know," Severus said quietly. _Of course, I have a guess._

"What did you have to show me?" she asked.

In their battle he had almost forgotten, "Over here," he led her to the massive balcony.

Lily gasped as he climbed onto what seemed to be thin air, "Remember when we talked about thestrals last summer?"

Lily nodded weakly and took Severus's outstretched hand, "Hold on," he said, and the soared into the night.

As they glided silently around the towers, Severus told her his story. The thestrals, Hagrid, flying, his bloody appearance, tripping over Mary. She listened until they landed on the astronomy balcony and slid off the threstral. She felt the gust of wind as it flew off into the night.

The two looked at each other for several moments before Lily spoke, "Beautiful night isn't it?"

"…Yes."

"I skipped class that day too," Lily said, "I was looking for you. I've been so worried about you. I heard you were skipping class. I wanted to ask you something too."

Severus sighed, Lily was beautiful and she was looking at him with kindness again…he dare not say love, "What did you want to ask?"

Lily shook her head and smiled sadly, "It seems so stupid now. So childish. The wizarding world is falling apart outside these walls, isn't it? You deal with more shit in a day than I've dealt with in my whole life. I seems like nothing now."

"That's not true, you're strong," Severus said.

Lily shook her head again, "I wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball."

The Yule Ball? He had forgotten since he had not planned on going. He never thought…she?

"Yes—I mean, er, are you still asking me?" Severus stammered.

Lily nodded.

"I can't dance," he warned.

"I know," Lily said with a dryness that made his heart burst with pride, "Neither can I, remember? We do plenty of stupid dances at home though. We should dance like that at the Ball! Could you imagine?"

At the thought of other humans besides Lily Severus frowned slightly, "I never bought dress robes either."

Lily laughed, "Do you not want to go?"

"No," Severus said airily, "Just being negative. I know your friends give you a lot of crap for being my friend," they unconsciously locked hands and descended the astronomy tower, "It will just be worse now."

"I know you're not a bad person, Sev," Lily said simply, "That is all a need."

"Brats out of bed!" a voice crowed, spoiling their moment.

"Damn," they cursed as Filch rushed toward him, the word detention on his lips.


	13. Klutz

Hi guys, sorry I haven't updated in so long but this was my first week of college so I was incredibly busy. This was written in bits and pieces over several days so I hope it isn't too choppy. Thanks again for the great reviews!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything you see from the books.

**Chapter Eleven**

**Klutz**

Instead of the sneers he was so used to receiving, Severus Snape was getting glares. Everyone in Hogwarts knew his name and it did not serve him as it did Potter and Black. He had actually come to prefer the glares compared to what some of his housemates insisted on giving him—warm grins and enthusiastic pats on the back. Some of the younger ones used him as a rallying point, they saw him as some sort of Mudblood vanquisher. They yelled encouragement from across the hall.

The cursing of Mary MacDonald served to make his life even more miserable. However, he realized with a guilty pang, it gave him some perks. Everyone in his House respected him. Avery and McNair were actually holding civil conversations with him. No one had treated him so well since—Lily Evans.

In many ways Lily had it worse than Severus. She was constantly critiqued and lambasted by her friends who were furious she continued to stay at his side.

"Even if he didn't do it, he's probably close to someone who did," they reasoned many times over and not incorrectly, "And even if he's perfectly innocent—he's a freak. A weird, greasy, ugh!"

At that point Lily would glare them into silence. If only they knew they would be attending the Yule Ball together! She smirked at the thought of their horrorstruck faces.

Potter had somehow become more unbearable. His advances wore her every nerve. He seemed more determined to keep her away from Severus. Lily pointed this out to him as he badgered her on the way to Charms class.

"Potter, you seem to have quite the obsession with Severus Snape. Can't stand a bit of real competition?" she smirked as Potter stopped following her, mouth agape at what she said.

How she wished she could wipe that arrogant smirk off his face! Posturing, cocky, rich boy! She loathed everything he stood for.

She snarled these thoughts at Remus as they walked to Potions class, "Godamn stupid Potter!"

Remus gave his soothing smile that did not match his sly reply, "Well, you'll have your day when James sees you and Severus at the You-Know-Where."

Lily grinned, Remus had been the only one she trusted to tell about her and Severus going to the Yule Ball. They kept all of each other's secrets, which was more than could be said for most of their friends.

Lily sighed, she decided to plea to Remus once again, "Can't you tell them to lay off Sev?"

Remus returned her sigh, "You know I have, remember? I told James and Sirius off a good deal after the grease and nose incident—and they pranked me!" he hastily added, "Not that they're cruel people, they just can't seem to suffer him," he lowered his voice, "Besides, he gives as good as he gets oftentimes…I know it's not my place to say this but Severus _is_ rather dangerous, Lily."

"I know," Lily said simply, "It's one of the reasons I adore him. He's not a poser dangerous like Potter, nor is he an evil dangerous like a Death Eater. He's more of a 'Danger: Wet Cement' sort of person, y' know?"

"Er, I'm afraid I don't. Sorry," Remus apologized awkwardly as they filed into the dungeon.

Severus was already there by their cauldron. Instead of greeting Lily with one of his shy smiles, he barely registered her. His hand was clenched on his wand. His black eyes were ablaze with fury. Potter and Black (with an occasional unintelligent jab from Peter) were hard at work tormenting him.

"Oh _Sev_ I just adore your greasy hair and your horrible face. Guys who smell like B.O. and pond scum totally turn me on," Black cooed.

Potter growled lovingly in his best impression of Snape, "Why thank you my dear. I am so glad you appreciate my utter hideousness. I hardly have time to keep it up you know, what, with all the cursing Mudbloods, lurking in dark corners, and stalking Lily Evans."

Lily rushed forward, she had to diffuse the situation. Last time Severus looked so murderous, Potter had been thrown from his chair and into pile of grimy cauldrons. Not that she minded Potter injured, but Severus got a detention last time—he could not this time, they had plans.

She put a reassuring hand on Severus's shoulder, "At it again Potter? I love how you are so insecure with yourself, that you feel the insatiable need to put your _betters_ down."

"Evans," James gave the grin that won most people over, "I _love_ how you look after the wretched wastes of breath in our society. A true service. Though I don't think Snivelly is even worth your time, personally."

Lily fumed, but it was Severus's turn, "Potter, why do you even try? Why is it, whenever you enter an argument, without exception, with anyone—but particularly Lily Evans—you come off as a pretentious jackass? I am merely grabbing at straws but my _guess_ is that you actually _are_ a pretentious jackass."

This was all the justification Sirius needed. He had been waiting to use this number with the others at the end of class but he could not contain himself.

"Hey Snivellus!" Sirius waved his wand and Severus staggered back as though he had been punched in the face. Blood trickled from his lip. With another wave, an incredible amount of slimy mud slopped over him.

"Look at that! Snivellus is a Mudblood!" Sirius announced to the captivated class, "Maybe he'll do us a favor now and curse himself!" the class roared with laughter.

"My Mum works for St. Mungo's," Peter piped. He seemed lame after Black, but his inferiority did not affect the gravity of his words, "She owled me and wrote they had the craziest witch in the other day. Throwing a great fit and attacking the residents. Said it was someone she went to school with—Name's _ Eileen__ Prince. _ That's your Mum isn't it Sever—I mean Snivellus?" he finished with an indulgent grin.

The class erupted into whispers. Severus threw down his wand and lunged at Peter, meaning full well to choke the last bit of life out of him. Peter squealed, but Potter had the reflexes to hex Severus into a body-bind. Severus snarled like a feral cat before collapsing on the cold dungeon floor. The class erupted with laughter. James opened his mouth to taunt Severus further, when he saw Lily's face out of the corner of his eye.

Never had he seen her so furious. Where was his sweet Lily flower? Her eyes were ablaze and her hair surrounded her like a halo of fire. She seemed taller than him, than everyone in the room. Her coolness and sugary put downs were incinerated into ash.

"POTTER!" she shrieked, the class quieted instantly.

"Yes, my tigress?" It was all he could do to keep the smirk pasted on his face.

"You sick fuck!" Lily screeched, keeping her earsplitting level of sound.

James quailed, but braced himself and tried humor once again, "Some think so," he waggled his eyebrows, "come with me to the Yule Ball and you'll find out afterwards."

The smirk. It was still there. James Potter held no regret for his behavior. If she were a violent person, she would have slapped or cursed it off—but no, she needed something that would torment him for much longer.

"The Yule Ball?" Lily asked in mock ignorance, "Oh, you mean the dance I'm going with Severus Snape to?"

That did it.

"Lil—lily flower…" James stammered for perhaps the first time in his life.

"Would you like to know why I'm attending the Yule Ball with him?" her voice was sweetly laced with poison, but her expression changed and she became somber.

"Because he is intelligent and kind, humble and sarcastic. Because I love the way his hair feels between my fingers and I love his eyes and how he looks at me. Because he reminds me of summertime and freedom. Because he can play the piano and sing and," she smiled, "He dances like I do. Because he can take everyone's shit and come out alright…Because I can act like a pig or a lady around him and I am always happy—I am always at ease when he is by my side."

She paused and realized she was breathing heavily, but she gathered her strength, "And you, Potter, are not half the person he is. You are callous and perverted, arrogant and narcissistic. I would get sick, if I was ever made to touch you," she spat.

Their eyes met, Potter's dull brown, Lily's earthy green. He trembled, he was not even conscious of whether the class noticed. For the first time, James Potter saw the real Lily Evans. He knew then, he wanted her for more than just the chase. He wanted to tame her, to have her like a caged bird. Even her proclaimed affection for Severus Snape was pushed from his mind.

After a moment of tense silence there was an, "Ahem."

Professor Slughorn had just arrived to class and was standing by his desk rather awkwardly. He could barely suppress shouting with joy. He was right about his Potions geniuses. A great partnership was about to be born.

Lily blushed at him with embarrassment as she knelt down to help Severus, "Sorry professor."

"Would you two like to be excused from today's class?" he asked kindly.

"Really? Oh, thank you, sir, th-thank you," she stammered, her fire thrust behind a veil of meekness.

"No trouble at all Ms. Evans," he grinned, "I trust your make-up work will be sufficient."

Lily gave him a polite smile before pulling Severus out of class by his elbow. In the empty hallway she looked at him, but he was determined to keep his gaze on the floor. He was leaving sticky footprints of mud on the floor and his face was dripping with it.

"Sev," she called quietly.

He did not answer.

"Sev," she said a bit louder but no less gently.

She sighed, she hated when he got like this. After an especially bad round of bullying he would respond to no one, not even her. He would stare coldly into space, thinking Merlin knew what.

Lily decided to get him to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom so she could clean him up in relative privacy. She tried to pull him along, but he persisted in his sullen trudge.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low yet loud in the deserted corridor, "Did you mean it?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Mean what?"

"Those things you said to Potter…about me," his eyes were still firmly fixed on the ground.

Lily recalled what she had said, she did not know where the words came from or why they came. They just sort of poured out from some indefinable place. She meant them though, every word. That much she knew.

"Yes. Yes, of course I did, Sev I—oof!"

A very slimy and grimy Severus Snape threw himself at her. She was locked in a tight embrace that she returned once her wits came back to her. It was as though they were trying to tackle each other during one of their summer mud fights at the swamp. Warm, wet, grime, earthy smell, filth—an experience she never thought she would have at Hogwarts in late November.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized he was saying something. He kept repeating it.

"Thank you. Thank you. Even if you didn't really mean it. Thank you. Thank you…" he gasped hoarsely. Suddenly, he pushed himself away, realizing what he was doing.

He had stained her immaculate school clothes. Her hands, hair and face had globs of mud on them. She looked disheveled and surprised—and there was something else. A look he could not identify, it frightened him. She was angry or disgusted, he could not bear it. She took a step towards him and he tried to bolt. He slipped and tripped over his robes, landing in messy heap on the floor.

When he summoned the courage to look up he saw Lily kneeled by him. Her face looked even more radiant up close.

"Sev?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Remember when we were kids and I always called you a klutz because you said you would fall down the stairs and run into doors?"

She started to cry, and Severus froze. What was he supposed to do?

"You're not a klutz, y 'know? I mean…I bet you're really graceful…you would be if you weren't always made to run into doors," she choked down a sob.

She covered her face, "I was always so stupid. I am so…"

Here was something Severus could grasp. He could make sense of this part of the outburst at least. He put a hand on her shoulder, "You're not stupid, you're brilliant, Lily. Always have been."

Lily wiped her tears and said, "Professor Slughorn is giving us free reign of the Potions room for a 'project' every afternoon."

"What?" Severus said stupidly.

Lily smiled, "Promise you won't go off brooding. You'll be there with me, won't you?"

"Aren't I always?"

She pulled a clump of mud out of Severus's hair balled it up in her hands. She hurled it at a mousy looking first year who had been gawking at them for the past five minutes. He squeaked and skittered down the hall.

"Creevy," she growled.

Severus snorted, "Haven't seen him run that fast since he tried to photograph Potter after the last Quidditch match."

"And then they--" she burst into giggles, "Crashed—fell off the—stands!"

"Into those ill-fated first years," Severus shook his head somberly, but there was laughter in his eyes.

&

Severus gawked at the phonograph, thoughts of what he was going to have to do pushed out of his mind for a moment, "You transfigured that from a cauldron?"

"I know, I'm a genius," Lily said as she flipped through the records she brought from her dormitory. She smirked as she chose one and put it on. As the opening riff blared, they looked at each other.

"Sabbath!"

They began what could be called a dance. Lily swung her head about and pumped her fists. Severus wavered in a series of serpentine motions and shuffled his feet. If the pickled and jarred animals along the walls were not long expired, they would have shaken their heads in embarrassment.

This was not so bad. It was like home, in Lily's room when they would dance like idiots. It relieved much of the stress that Severus accumulated over the past few months.

As the song faded Lily sighed and reached for another record, "We have to get down to business."

Severus protested, "We don't need to learn to dance. We don't have to dance at the Yule Ball, we could…we could drink punch…or something…"

"We _have to _Sev," Lily insisted, "We're going to show them!"

Severus raised his eyebrows, "Show who what?"

"Them! Don't pretend you didn't notice all the stares at lunch."

"They always stare when we sit by that suit of armor and not at our tables."

"It was a lot more than usual. They want to see us ruined—your friends and mine and everyone. I just want to shut them up. I don't want to give them anything to pick at. I want them to see," she blushed, "How wonderful we are together, at least just this once."

Severus nodded, despite his outward lack of enthusiasm, he wished for nothing more than to sweep her off her feet in front of the whole school. He wished he could be dashing and charming.

"O.K. don't laugh. This is Petunia's record, it got mixed in with mine," she paused, "At least it's danceable."

"Lily, you know disco makes me murderous," Severus said calmly.

"Fine, ballroom dancing it is, then," Lily pulled out another record and a book, "Had my parents order me these."

The book was entitled, "Become an Expert Ballroom Dancer in 15 Minutes a Day." Severus groaned.

"Oh, c'mon, Sev. It says here to put your hand on my waist and I put my right hand on your shoulder, and…"

"OW!"

"My foot!"

"Damn table!"

"How did you step in a cauldron?"

"Woah!"

BOOM!

Severus and Lily were thrown several feet after crashing into a cupboard of volatile concoctions. They lay on the dungeon floor covered in a sticky orange substance. They were quiet for several moments before Severus spoke.

"I don't suppose the book says that we were supposed to have destroyed half a Potions lab in our first 15 minute lesson, does it?"

"No," said Lily, "It doesn't."

After hours of arduous cleaning, the two emerged from the classroom exhausted. They had missed dinner and Lily was fuming as they wandered down the corridors. She would stop every so often and pace in frustration. Severus found it very amusing.

"We need to find out how to dance!" Lily cried during one of these pacing episodes and Severus gasped.

"A door!"

"What?"

"It just appeared, as you were walking…"

"Cool!" Lily exclaimed, all frustration swept away at this new curiosity.

She opened the door without hesitation, Severus followed her apprehensively.

"Incredible."

The room contained an opulent ballroom, magically animated instruments, mirrors and a dancing ghost. His dance was beautiful and sad. His ancient yet rich robes flowed about him like water. He seemed to be dancing with an invisible partner. He took no notice of them but continued to dance like something possessed.

Severus and Lily exchanged looks before Lily stepped forward, "Excuse me, sir."

Thoughts and suggestions are great. I love feedback of any kind. Dance lessons and Yule Ball up next.


End file.
